Shepardson joined the South Florida staff for the 2020 season after serving as the head coach of the San Jose State beach volleyball program and an associate head coach of the San Jose State volleyball program with head coach Jolene Shepardson for six seasons. Jolene, a former standout student-athlete at USF, returned to Tampa where she helped lead the program to its last conference championship and NCAA Tournament apperance in 2002.
“Aaron has been by my side for all 15 years of my coaching career, so I am blessed to be with him now coaching at my alma mater,” Shepardson said. “He balances my abilities and my personality while we don’t feel that we would be the same coaches without each other. He will be working within his strengths in a new role as Director of Player Development. I believe we will enhance our success and our student-athletes experience with him in this role. I am grateful to have him by my side going into this unique first season.”
As head coach of the beach program at San Jose State, Aaron Shepardson grew the program in the six seasons since its inception. After a struggle to win in the beginning, the Spartans have posted at least seven wins each of the past four years and upset nationally ranked California three times. The 2019 team finished with the most wins in school history at 11, and two pairs finished the year with a winning record.
Shepardson went to San José State after spending three seasons with similar responsibilities at CSU Bakersfield. In indoor volleyball, the Roadrunners went from a winless program prior to his arrival to setting a school record for single-season victories with 21 in 2013. CSU Bakersfield reached the 2013 Western Athletic Conference championship match.
In beach volleyball, the Roadrunners played their first season of sand volleyball in 2013, finishing with a 5-7 record. CSU Bakersfield played half of its 12-match schedule against top-five ranked teams nationally.
His other major college indoor volleyball experiences include serving as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech (2010), American University (2008 and 2009), Winthrop University (2005) and the University of Denver (2002). Winthrop won the 2005 Big South Conference championship. Shepardson also was a volunteer assistant at the University of Florida in 2004. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Baylor University in 1996 and held that position for two years.
Shepardson was the head coach of the Front Range Volleyball Club - Mountain Division from 2006 to 2008. He also was the assistant coach for Front Range's 18-Open National Championship team in 2002.
A native of Littleton, Colo., Shepardson graduated from Baylor in 1998 with a degree in psychology. He played on Baylor's men's volleyball club as an outside hitter and setter, and was a member of the USA Men's National Volleyball team in 2000 and 2001. In 2003, Shepardson played professionally in Indonesia and Belgium.
