Zach Shaw begins his second season as an assistant coach at Nichols College and first as Director of Football Operations in 2019.
In his first season in Dudley, Shaw was instrumental in the development of quarterback Michael Pina, who tossed for 1,551 yards and 15 touchdowns – including five games with at least two passing TD’s. He also rushed for 233 yards and three scores. Additionally, freshman wide receiver Hunter Ferreira hauled in 516 yards and eight touchdowns to garner Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Second team honors.
Shaw brings a plethora of both domestic and international playing and coaching experience to Dudley. Following a four-year playing career at Wisconsin Lutheran College which saw him earn all-conference honors and graduate as the program’s all-time leader in both passing yards and touchdowns, Shaw traveled to Denmark to play for the Sollerod Gold Diggers American Football Club (2013). He served as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the junior team (ages 16-19) while leading the Danish National League in passing yards and touchdowns as a member of the Senior National Team.
Shaw returned to the states in 2014 and spent time as a quarterbacks coach at Midwest Quarterback Camps, and as the offensive coordinator and strength & conditioning coach at Mesabi Range College. The following year, he joined the Elancourt Templiers American Football Club in France, where he was both the starting QB and offensive coordinator for the Senior Elite Team, as well as the co-head coach/offensive coordinator/special teams coordinator for the Junior Team.
In 2015, Saw joined his alma mater as a graduate assistant working primarily with the running backs. There, he prepared and implemented practice plans, conducted position group meetings and film sessions, and arranged gameday materials for the offensive coaches. Following the season, Shaw shuffled off to Germany to join the Potsdam Royals American Football Club. He spent two seasons in Potsdam as the starting quarterback, compiling an 18-4 record with over 4,000 passing yards and 41 touchdowns during that span. Shaw helped his squad capture the 2017 German Football League championship. During this span, he also honed his coaching skills as he assisted in playbook design – specifically, pass game philosophy – and implemented a no-huddle offense.
Shaw spent one season as member of the Winterthur Warriors American Football Club (2017-18) as both offensive coordinator and starting quarterback before working for Europe’s Elite as a QB coach. He also has extensive recruiting experience at both the collegiate (Wisconsin Lutheran & Mesabi Range) and professional (Potsdam Royals & Winterthur Warriors) levels. Â
Shaw – who resides in Webster, Mass. – graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
