Lewis & Clark College

Shawn Carson joined the Lewis & Clark men's basketball coaching staff in the Summer of 2024. He served as the team's lead assistant coach for the 2024-25 season, before being named the acting head coach in December of 2025. 

In his first season with the program, Carson helped lead Lewis & Clark to the program's first Northwest Conference Tournament Title since 2002. The Pioneers qualified for the NWC Tournament for the first time in a decade by going 9-7 in NWC play. In the NWC Tournament, #4 Lewis & Clark upset #1 seed and host Whitworth University 71-64 to snap the Pirates' 20-year streak of reaching the NWC Championship Game. Men's Basketball defeated #3 Whitman College 70-57 in the NWC Championship game to become the second four-seed in NWC men's basketball history to win the NWC Title. 

Carson brings a diverse background in coaching and sports management to the River Otters. Prior to Lewis & Clark he served as the men’s basketball assistant coach at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, where he helped guide the program to its first playoff appearance in 10 years during the 2021–22 season.

Prior to his role at Mt. Hood, Carson worked as a graduate assistant coach at Bushnell University in Eugene. He also gained experience as an AAU coach with Oregon Prospects in Portland, developing training programs and mentoring younger athletes.

A two-year player at Bushnell, Carson averaged 6.7 points per game during his collegiate career. He earned the Cecil Warner Most Improved Player award as a junior and received Academic All-Cascade Collegiate Conference honors as a senior. During his final season, he led the team in blocks and finished his career with 53 blocks, ranking sixth on the Beacons’ all-time list.

A Portland native, Carson has also worked in education as an On-Track Coordinator at Parkrose High School, where he provided academic and behavioral support to students. His coaching approach emphasizes player development, skill growth, confidence building, and supporting student-athletes both on and off the court.