UIW Basketball

Shane Heirman enters his third season as head coach of UIW men’s basketball in 2025-26, after being hired in May 2023 at just 34 years old, making him the third-youngest Division I head coach at the time.

In just two seasons, Heirman has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, going from 8 wins in 2023-24 to a program-record 19 in 2024-25—marking the largest year-to-year improvement in the country. His team also set UIW Division I records for total wins (19), home wins (11), and conference wins (9). The Cardinals opened the season 9-5 and closed strong, winning 10 in the second half, including victories over three top-200 KenPom teams.

He guided UIW to its first-ever Southland Conference Tournament appearance and win, followed by a run to the CBI Semifinals, earning the program’s first two postseason wins. Off the court, the team posted a 3.3 GPA, logged record-breaking community service hours, and held a 100% APR.

In 2025, UIW’s offense ranked among the nation’s best, scoring 73.9 points per game on 46.8% shooting. Three players, Davion Bailey, Dylan Hayman, and Jalin Anderson, averaged over 15 points per game. UIW also achieved its highest-ever KenPom (224) and NET (249) rankings.