Shanon Hays - Softball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Shanon Hays

Title:
Head Coach
Years at GCU:
4th
Email:
shanon.hays@gcu.edu
Alma Mater:
Texas Tech

Head Coach Resume

YEAR	SCHOOL	RECORD
2008	Lubbock Christian	58-9-2
2009	Lubbock Christian	53-7-3
2010	Texas Tech	38-18
2011	Texas Tech	42-16
2012	Texas Tech	41-17
2013	Texas Tech	30-26
2014	Texas Tech	35-19
2017	Colorado Christian	29-23
2018	Colorado Christian	43-15
2019	Oklahoma Christian	40-16
2020*	Oklahoma Christian	21-5*
2021	Oklahoma Christian	38-9
2022	GCU	39-16
2023	GCU	47-13
2024	GCU	50-13
2025	GCU	47-8
2026	GCU	0-0
Overall (16 seasons): 651-230-5 (.738) Lubbock Christian (2 seasons): 111-16-5 (.874) Texas Tech (5 seasons): 186-96 (.660) Colorado Christian (2 seasons): 72-38 (.655) Oklahoma Christian (3 seasons): 99-30 (.767) GCU (5 seasons): 183-50 (.791)
* 2020-21 season shortened because of COVID-19

Regular-Season Champions

2023, 2024, 2025

Conference Tournament Champions

2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

D1 NCAA Tournament Appearances

2011, 2012, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

D1 NCAA Tournament Regional Finals

2011, 2024

D1 Conference Coach of the Year

2022, 2024, 2025

bold denotes at GCU

View GCU Softball coaching records.

Shanon Hays was named the second head coach in the history of the Grand Canyon softball program on June 6, 2021.

Hays has racked up 651 career victories (an average of 41 per year) in 16 seasons as a softball head coach, and holds a .738 career winning percentage.

Coach Hays took the program to new heights in 2025, leading the Lopes to their first top-25 ranking in school history and the program's longest-ever win streak of 23 games. Hays led the Lopes to a fourth consecutive WAC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Lopes 21-2 conference record, gave Hays his third WAC Regular Season title in his four years at the helm. Hays won his third WAC Coach of the Year award, coaching the WAC Player of the Year, WAC Pitcher of the Year, six All-WAC players, and four NFCA All-West Region honorees. During the 2025 season, Coach Hays signed an extension that will keep him in Phoenix for the forseeable future.

In 2024, Hays led the Lopes to their winningest season in GCU softball history (50 wins), earning their third consecutive WAC Tournament title, and third straight automatic bid to an NCAA regional, where they competed in the Los Angeles Regional final for the first time in program history after wins over No. 17 Virginia Tech and San Diego State. Hays earned his second WAC Coach of the Year award in three seasons, and oversaw the WAC Player of the Year, WAC Pitcher of the Year, WAC Freshman of the Year, four first-team All-WAC athletes, three second-team All-WAC players and four National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-West Region honorees.

The Lopes earned their second consecutive WAC Tournament title in 2023, and returned the NCAA Los Angeles Regional, where they defeated No. 2 UCLA for their first postseason victory in program history and the largest upset in NCAA tournament history. GCU also put three athletes on the NFCA All-West Region team, five on the All-WAC first team, three on the conference All-Defensive Team, as well as landing the WAC Defensive Player of the Year.

The historic 2023 season also featured the national RBI leader for nine weeks (Kristin Fifield), 13 shutouts, three no-hitters (including the first back-to-back no-hitters in GCU's Division I era by Hailey Hudson and Meghan Golden) and the first perfect game in GCU softball history (Emily Darwin).

In his first year as GCU head coach, Hays was named the 2022 WAC Coach of the Year, leading the Lopes to the No. 5 batting average in the nation (.336) with a 39-16 regular-season record and the WAC Tournament championship. The Lopes' first WAC Championship Tournament title earned their first NCAA tournament appearance. Hays had five athletes earn a spot on the all-conference first team, and two named NFCA All-West Region as well.

Hays took the reins of a Lopes program with a 216-178 (.548) record in eight Division I seasons and two WAC regular-season titles in 2014 and 2017.

He has built numerous winning programs and built them fast.

Prior to GCU, Hays also had five years as a D-I head coach on his resume, posting winning records in each of his seasons as the head coach at Texas Tech, Inheriting a program that went 15-42 in 2009, Hays had the Red Raiders in their first NCAA tournament in a decade after notching a 23-win improvement and going 38-18 in his inaugural season in 2010. He remains the winningest coach in the history of Texas Tech's softball program, winning 186 games in his five seasons leading the Red Raiders.

Hays spent the previous five seasons in the Division II ranks in successful runs at Colorado Christian (two years, 72-38) and Oklahoma Christian (three years, 99-30).

He also started the softball program at Lubbock Christian University and led the team to a 58-9-2 record and an NAIA National Championship in the program's inaugural season.

While spending most of the last 15 years in college softball, Hays holds a diverse athletic background prior. He spent seven seasons in men's basketball: leading the Abilene Christian program in the late 1990s, two years as an assistant coach at Texas Tech, and two years as the associate head coach at Houston. He was also the athletic director at Abilene Christian.

Hays made the move from men's basketball to softball in 2006 when he was given the opportunity to start a softball program at Lubbock Christian University. After spending the 2006-07 school year recruiting players and raising funds, the Chaparrals debuted to a 58-9-2 record and an NAIA National Championship. He was named NAIA Coach of the Year. After another successful season at Lubbock Christian (53-7-3), he moved across town to take his first D-I softball head coaching position at Texas Tech.

From a family full of coaching success, Hays' father, Larry, and brother, Daren, are both actively coaching college softball. Larry took over for Shanon as Colorado Christian's head coach in 2019 after serving as the head coach of Texas Tech's baseball program for 21 seasons where he coached Shanon from 1988-90. Meanwhile, Daren has been leading the Lubbock Christian softball program since 2011.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"Shanon Hays is a home-run hire. Coach Hays has won at every level with unmatched consistency. He is the ultimate winner. His teams play together with a championship toughness and poise. Coach Hays teaches and coaches through relationships. The Hays family will embrace the university and the campus. Great things are ahead for Grand Canyon softball."
- Chris Beard, Head Coach, Texas men's basketball

"GCU could not have made a better choice. Shanon has had success in everything he's done. He knows talent and he knows softball, but his fit with GCU's Christian mission will be life changing for those fortunate enough to be under his influence."
- Glenn Moore, Head Coach, Baylor softball

"Shanon Hays is a proven winner at all levels of college softball. He will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to GCU."
- Kristie Fox, Head Coach, UNLV softball

"I think Shanon's move to GCU is the perfect fit culture wise for him and his family, but it's an even better fit for the university. From a recruiting standpoint and player development, he has always been one of the best in the business. He is a winner — always has been, always will be."
- Nicole Dickson, Head Coach, Stephen F. Austin softball

"Coach Hays is the ultimate winner on and off the field. He has a genuine heart for Christ, his family and the teams he coaches. I've never met anyone that can connect with student-athletes in a way that gets them to achieve their full potential individually and as a team to compete for championships as quickly as he can. GCU will win at the highest level because of his heart and passion to win the right way."
- Grant McCasland, Head Coach, North Texas men's basketball