Ray Shovlain Announces Retirement Following 2026–27 Season at St. Ambrose

Ray Shovlain will have one final season on the St. Ambrose sideline.

The university announced Friday, Oct. 23, that its longtime men’s basketball coach will retire following the 2026–27 season. It will be his 44th year leading the Fighting Bees, a tenure that began in 1983. Official announcement.

Shovlain enters the season with 749 career victories. His teams have produced 18 seasons with at least 20 wins, reached 10 NAIA National Tournaments and advanced to the Sweet 16 four times. The high point came in 2004, when St. Ambrose won a school-record 32 games and made the program’s only Final Four appearance. St. Ambrose.

His connection to the university reaches beyond the bench. A 1979 graduate who earned his MBA from St. Ambrose in 1982, Shovlain also spent 25 years as athletic director, serving until July 2019. He earned Professor of the Year honors in 1989 and 1993 and was named a 2026 recipient of the McMullen Award, the university’s second-highest honor. University career profile.

For St. Ambrose, the coming season offers a chance to recognize a coach whose work has connected generations of Fighting Bees. For Shovlain, another milestone is within reach: his next victory will be career win No. 750.

The university’s retirement announcement did not identify a successor or provide a search timeline. Shovlain remains in place for the upcoming season. Official announcement.

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