“Coaching isn’t something I thought I would do when I was in high school. I wanted to go into the medical field, most likely physical therapy. Then I took my first chemistry class at the University of Georgia and changed my major. After that, I gravitated toward a health and physical education degree,” says Calvary Day Cavaliers head men’s basketball coach and assistant principal Jason Shell.
After a quarter on Science Hill, Shell became increasingly interested in health and PE. As he pursued this degree track, he thought more and more about coaching. “I loved basketball. It was my passion. I also loved being around kids. As I moved through college, I realized that I wanted to become a basketball coach,” says Shell, who played basketball and baseball at Westfield School in Perry (his Hornets won a region title in basketball his junior year and played for a state title; a year later, the baseball Hornets won a region championship of their own).
Health and PE jobs are notoriously difficult to find. When Shell graduated from UGA after doing his student teaching at Cedar Shoals High School, he began searching for a job. Nothing materialized, and he was about to return to school to work on his master’s degree when he learned about a PE opening at Windsor Forest in Savannah. He got the job and was supposed to serve as assistant women’s basketball and assistant baseball coach. However, when he arrived on campus (two weeks after school had already started), Shell was told that the men’s basketball coach had resigned. He was being named interim head varsity men’s basketball coach for the year.
When he took over the Windsor Forest program, the Knights weren’t very good. That year, the Knights went on a run and made the state tournament, upsetting a Glynn Academy team that included future first-round NBA draft pick Kwame Brown. Shell remained at Windsor Forest for two more years before moving to Calvary Day.
Like Windsor Forest, the Calvary Day basketball program was lagging when Shell took over. The Cavaliers weren’t known for basketball, and they hadn’t made the state playoffs or won a region championship since becoming a part of the Georgia High School Association. The first three years were tough, but in Shell’s fourth year, the Cavaliers found their stride. They won over 20 games, the region title, and went to the Elite Eight. The following year, they went back to the Elite Eight. Since 2005, Calvary Day has made the playoffs every year but one. Along the way, the Cavaliers have won four region titles, they’ve played for seven and, this year, went to the Final Four. “First and foremost, we’ve been blessed by God. We’ve had some good players and some great assistants. We have a great support system here, and we have some people here who really love this school. Then of course when you start winning, it gets contagious,” he says.
Over the years, the Cavalry Day players have responded well to Shell’s system. He wants his players to play hard, with intensity, and with aggression. However, he also requires them to play controlled and disciplined. He doesn’t employ one set system – he uses multiple schemes so he can adjust to what his opponents give him. “I want my players to play aggressively, and I also coach aggressively. I expect a lot out of them, and I want them to play hard all the time. You can’t go wrong if you play hard,” he says.
Each year, Shell’s goals remain the same. He wants his players to support what the team does and give their best. Exactly how the team plays from year to year often changes. “The team and personnel change from one year to the next. We adjust to our personnel. We never take away from the fundamentals, but we always adjust to what we have and play to the strengths of our team. Not every team we have is the same,” he says.
Shell is quite happy with his position at Calvary Day. He has developed a successful basketball program and is now an administrator. His support staff, parents, fans, and administration are behind him every step of the way. For him, it’s a perfect situation. “We’ve got everything we need to be successful right here. It’s why I’ve been here for 13 years,” he says.
The demands coaching places on a family are high. In the past, Jason Shell also coached golf and was an assistant football coach. His coaching duties are now limited to men’s basketball. His wife, Heather, supports him every step of the way. The daughter of a coach (Her father was the head baseball coach at Windsor Forest when Shell coached there), she knows full well the lifestyle of a coaching family. “I’m truly blessed. Without the love and support of my family, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do,” he says. Shell and Heather have two children, a son, Staten (first grade), and a daughter, Sutton Gray (two years old).
Coach’s Corner/Coastal Georgia/April 2014
Jason Shell
Calvary Day School
Savannah, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
Cavaliers enjoy over a decade of success under Coach Shell
