Henry Ford College Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Shepard was named Coach of the Year in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association for the third time.
DEARBORN – For the third year, Henry Ford College Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Shepard was named Coach of the Year in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association.
Under Shepard’s leadership, the team finished with a 11-6 record while winning the MCCAA Metro Conference title and the National Junior College Athletic Association Great Lakes District C Championship.
The Hawks advanced to the 2021 NJCAA Division II National Tournament as a 14th seed, where they upset No. 3 seed South Suburban College 67-58 in the opening round April 20 in what was the first big upset of the tournament. The Hawks then lost to Iowa Lakes Community College 88-74 April 22, and to Mott Community College 73-70 April 23 to end their run.
“I am extremely proud of this group,” Shepard said. “They were regular season champions, district champions, and made it to the national championships. Their first-round victory marks the first victory at the men’s championships in the college’s history. These are records and memories that will last a lifetime.”
Shepard began coaching at HFC during the 2017-18 season. In his first year, he guided the Hawks to an MCCAA Eastern Conference Championship, while compiling an impressive 23-7 record. He followed up his inaugural season at HFC with another MCCAA Eastern Conference Championship, along with an MCCAA Championship, in 2019. These accolades earned him Coach of the Year honors twice.
Prior to going to HFC, Shepard was the assistant coach of the men’s basketball team at Macomb Community College for three years. During his stint at MCC, the Monarchs advanced to the NJCAA National Basketball Championship for the first time in the history of the school.
His coaching career began as a graduate assistant at the University of Michigan-Dearborn for one season. Next, he returned to his alma mater, Warren Mott High School, to coach the freshman boys and boys junior varsity basketball teams for four years. After that, he became head coach of the boys varsity basketball team at Warren Cousino High School, where he led the team to a district championship in 2013 for the first time in 33 years.
Shepard graduated from Warren Mott, where he played basketball, football, and ran track. He went on to play basketball at UM-D. There, he was a 1,000-point scorer and named captain his senior year.
He and his wife, Tara, have a daughter named Riley.
“We are proud that Coach Shepard heads up our coaching staff,” HFC Athletic Director Rochelle Taylor said. “He not only attracts quality student-athletes to our program, but he motivates them to perform consistently at their best.”