Dr. Don Shondell is the patriarch of one of the best known families in American volleyball. His career has been long and varied as a volleyball coach, author and program coordinator. He has a career record of 769-280-6 (.732), affording him the second highest number of wins in NCAA men's volleyball history, behind UCLA's Al Scates.
Shondell graduated from Ball State University in 1952 and started Ball State's men's volleyball program in 1964. Shondell took a leave from the program in 1965 to complete a doctoral program at Indiana University.
As head coach of Ball State's men's volleyball program, he won 20 Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) titles in 34 seasons. In 1970, he led Ball State to the first NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship tournament. He later earned twelve more NCAA berths.
Shondell was a co-founder of the MIVA, and the organization's first president and an eight time MIVA coach of the year winner.
Shondell retired as head coach of Ball State in 1998 and was replaced by Joel Walton, a former player and assistant coach. After retirement Shondell began coaching the boy's volleyball team at Muncie Central High School in Muncie, Indiana. He also coaches youth volleyball in the Muncie, Indiana area.
Shondell is the co-author and editor of the Volleyball Coaching Bible.[1]
Among his former players are Olympian Phil Eatherton and Walton.
Shondell is the father of Dave Shondell, the present head Women's Volleyball coach at Purdue University, John, who is Dave's assistant at Purdue University, and Steve, who is the former Girls Volleyball coach at Muncie Burris High School where he had accumulated over 1,000 wins. Steve has since moved on to take the Head Coaching position for the Ball State Woman's Volleyball team.
Shondell is also the grandfather to former Tennessee women's player, Jasmine Fullove and former Purdue women's player and Mississippi State University Assistant coach, Lindsay Shondell.
Shondell currently coaches for the 8th grade volleyball team at Burris Laboratory School. Don's 8th grade team in 2010 went 16-0 for the first time since 2006.
On Wednesday, December 15, 2010 Don's wife Betty died after fighting liver and pancreatic cancer. Her last words to her husband and three sons were "I love you".