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Zac Shaw

Zac Shaw is entering his eighth year as the head coach for the Golden Knights' Women's Soccer program for the 2026 season. In his first seven seasons at the helm (2019, 2021-25), Shaw has posted 42 wins along with 17 ties in 103 contests for a .490 winning percentage. The Golden Knights reached the Liberty League Tournament from 2022-2024, including a hosting spot for the first round in 2023. The Green and Gold also achieved their first ever national ranking during the 2023 season and were in the top eight in the region for all eight polls.

In the season prior to joining the Clarkson staff, Shaw spent the 2018-19 season with the University of Rochester Women's Soccer program as the team's first assistant coach, helping the Yellowjackets finish with a 9-8-1 record and a berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament. 

Shaw brings a wealth of knowledge and experience at both the Division I and Division III levels. Prior to his season with Rochester, he spent seven years as the Associate Head Coach at the University of Connecticut. Consistently a nationally-ranked program over the last decade, UConn's staff was voted American Athletic Conference Staff of the Year in both 2015 and 2016.

Before his time at Connecticut, Shaw held the position of head coach for six years at the University of Rhode Island. While with the Rams, he was named Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year in 2005 and guided the Rams to two runner-up finishes in the A-10 regular season and another in the conference tournament.

In addition to his time at UConn and Rhode Island, Shaw also worked as an assistant coach at several other top Division I programs, including Florida (2004-05), where he helped bring in a recruiting class ranked in the top 10 nationally, Wisconsin (2003-04), and Penn State (1998-2000, 2002).

Shaw graduated from Ithaca College in 1992, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Neuroscience, after spending four years with the Bombers' soccer program. He was a NSCAA First-Team All-American, ISAA Division III Goalkeeper of the Year and Empire Athletic Association Men's Soccer Player of the Year in 1991 and he earned three All-EAA honors and a pair of All-Region selections during his time at Ithaca. He was elected to the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.

After graduating college, he got his first taste of coaching at two Division III programs at Nazareth (1992-93) and Ithaca (1993-94). Prior to his Division I experience, he played professionally for the Buffalo Blizzard of the NPSL in 1996 and 1997, and with the Atlanta Ruckus and Rochester Rhinos in the A-League in 1996.  On the international level, he played in Belgium for four teams from 1993 to 1996, including stints at 1st Division teams Club Brugges and KV Oostende.
 
Shaw is married to former US Women's Soccer National Team player Emily Shaw (Oleksiuk) and the couple has four children.