ATLANTA, Ga. – After completing her first season as an assistant coach with the Cleveland State women's basketball program during the 2023-24 campaign, Shelby Zoeckler has been recognized by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) as a Thirty Under 30 honoree.
Zoeckler, who is one of 31 assistant coaches to be named to the 2024 Thirty Under 30 list, becomes the first honoree from Cleveland State in the awards' nine-year history.
On the court Zoeckler primarily works with the guards, while also assisting with opponent scouting, recruiting and the team's social media efforts. During 2023-24, she helped the Vikings capture their first-ever Horizon League Regular Season Championship, while also leading Cleveland State to its fourth straight 20-win season (29-6) and fourth consecutive postseason appearance (WBIT).
"I am very thankful and honored for this recognition from the WBCA and I am very grateful to Coach Kielsmeier for the countless opportunities he has afforded me over the past six years," Zoeckler said. "Our staff has been incredibly supportive and I am appreciative for their mentorship and friendship, while also thankful for our student-athletes, as their trust in our staff and dedication to our program has led to success on and off the court. Coaching at my alma mater is a blessing and I'm grateful every day for this opportunity!"
During her time at Cleveland State, Zoeckler has served as a mentor to not only student-athletes, but also to the program's graduate assistants and student managers. Along with her on-court coaching, she also serves as a Life Skills Coach for a select group of student-athletes, helping them becoming champions on and off the court.
In the community, Zoeckler leads the program's Pen Pal initiative, while also taking the lead on all campus engagement activities.
In addition, Zoeckler is also a WBCA member, and has been an active participant in the Coach-To-Coach Mentoring Program for several years. Zoeckler was an integral part of Cleveland State's Final Four Roundtable presentation last year and will be heavily involved in the Vikings' On-Court Presentation next month, helping the program present on the WBCA's biggest stage.
"Shelby constantly represents the Green & White with pride, and you won't find a bigger Cleveland State fan who has dedicated her entire professional career to being a Viking, spending almost a decade as part of the CSU women's basketball family," head coach Chris Kielsmeier said. "It's remarkable how quickly Shelby has ascended in our staff, working her way up from being a student assistant, to a graduate assistant, to director of operations, to her current role of assistant coach. She is always willing to help the program in any way she can, and for her to be recognized at this year's Final Four in Cleveland – a city where she was born and raised – is just fantastic."
The WBCA Thirty Under 30 program was created to recognize up-and-coming women's basketball coaches aged 30 and under at all levels of the game. Each honoree exemplifies involvement in community service, mentorship and impact on others, professional manner and attitude, and professional association involvement.
