Devan Spriggs Named RSC Coach of Character
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio- The River States Conference is pleased to announce the selection of Shawnee State University volleyball coach Devan Spriggs as the 2023-24 River States Conference Coach of Character. Spriggs is not only the first coach from Shawnee State to win the award in its nine-year existence, but also the first volleyball coach to do so.
The RSC Coach of Character award is patterned after the NAIA award of the same name. It is given annually to a head coach who has been outstanding in embracing the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character program using methods of teaching character through sport and in community leadership through volunteering or service.
The five character values of NAIA Champions of Character are Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership and Sportsmanship. The award was first established in the conference in 2015-16. As the conference honoree, Spriggs will have her name forwarded to the national level as a nominee for the NAIA Coach of Character Award.
In his nomination of Spriggs, Shawnee State athletic director Gerald Cadogan stated that Spriggs is truly an embodiment of the NAIA's core values, and instills that in her athletes.
"Devan is a person of unwavering integrity and dedication," Cadogan said. "Her commitment to developing not only the athletic abilities but also the personal growth of her athletes is truly commendable' She goes above and beyond to ensure that each player reaches their full potential, both on and off the court."
Spriggs is a unique winner of the Coach of Character Award, as she also won a similar award as an athlete. She was the Mid-South Conference's Champion of Character during her playing days, winning the award for volleyball in 2014.
In her four years as the head coach at Shawnee State, Spriggs has oversaw a resurgence of the Bears' volleyball program. After a four-year stretch where SSU posted a 38-97 record, Spriggs has guided the Bears to a 57-52 record, including a 16-12 mark during the 2023 season, the program's best mark in a decade.
Her success, and that of the Bears, continues into the classroom. Of the 27 total volleyball players that have been on Spriggs' rosters over the last four seasons, 24 maintained a cumulative GPA above 3.0, with 21 posting a grade point average of 3.50 or higher.
Spriggs has also been an active member of her community, working on the scorer's table for basketball games at nearby Northwest High School, and hosting volleyball camps to help grow the game of volleyball in the greater Southeast Ohio community. She also works at Northwest Elementary School as an Intervation Specialist.
YEAR BY YEAR -- RIVER STATES CONFERENCE COACH OF CHARACTER AWARD WINNERS
2015-16 -- Samantha DeMartine (Asbury), Softball Head Coach
2016-17 -- Tiffani Selhorst (IU East), Women's Basketball Head Coach
2017-18 -- Chris Hammond (Rio Grande), Softball Head Coach
2018-19 -- John Mills (Alice Lloyd), Women's Basketball Head Coach
2019-20 -- Will Shouse (Asbury), Men's Basketball Head Coach
2020-21 -- Sherrill Smith (Midway), Women's Soccer Head Coach
2021-22 -- Ken French (Oakland City), Men's Basketball Head Coach
2022-23 -- Wiley Brown (IU Southeast), Men's Basketball Head Coach
2023-24 -- Devan Spriggs (Shawnee State), Volleyball Head Coach