Lake Superior State expects to continue its solid standing in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women’s basketball by naming former Ferris State and University of Maine assistant coach Justin Rees its new head women’s basketball coach.

LSSU Director of Athletics Kris Dunbar made the announcement on May 15, 2011. He replaced Jamie Pewinski, who was named head women’s basketball coach at her alma mater, Saginaw Valley State, on April 18.  

“I am pleased that Coach Rees will be leading our women's basketball program,” Dunbar said. “His knowledge of the GLIAC and his experience recruiting in Michigan will help our program immediately. He is known for his integrity and passion for the game, which will help bring positive results for LSSU.”

Rees, a Florida native who played basketball at Barry University, was an assistant coach at Post University from 1999-02, Ferris State from 2002-07 and Maine from 2007-11. He was Maine’s recruiting coordinator and worked on-court primarily with post players. He was the associate head coach, recruiting coordinator and camps director at FSU.

Rees looks forward to returning to the NCAA Division II ranks, which strives to give student-athletes a better “work-life balance” than Division I offers, but he hopes to incorporate what he learned in Division I about intensity and commitment to succeed. 

"Building stronger bonds with and among student-athletes – you learn to respect that and it’s one of the reasons I chose to come back to Division II," Rees said. "It’s also one of the reasons I chose to play Division II. You’re going to get more of that family feel at Division II.”

Shannon Eggers enters her fourth season as the assistant coach for the Lake Superior State’s women’s basketball team.

In 2010-11, the Lakers posted a 16-10 record and a 13-6 record in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), which put them in a tie for second place.

Eggers joined the Laker staff after spending the 2007-08 season as a graduate assistant coach for the women's basketball team at Lewis University (Chicago, IL). At Lewis, she was involved in all aspects of recruiting, scouting, team evaluations, player development, and on-the-floor helping to develop the guards.

She graduated from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a bachelor's degree in radio/TV/film in 2006 and earned her master's degree in curriculum and instruction in 2010 while coaching at Lake Superior State.  She also held marketing and television internships with ESPN and the Minnesota Timberwolves before embarking on a coaching career.

Eggers was a two-year starter at University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a two-year starter upon transferring to University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where she earned All-WIAC First Team honors in her junior and senior campaigns, averaging 14.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior in 2005-06.

In addition to her coaching and recruiting duties, Eggers organized and served as the originator and director of LSSU’s Women’s Walk, a fund-raising event held in 2009, that raised over $20,000 in its inaugural year and $27,000 in its second year. In 2011, Laker women’s athletics pulled in over $42,000, bringing the total in three years to just under $90,000.

The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native attended Lewis Central High School and lettered in basketball, volleyball, and soccer. She captured all-state, all-conference and all-city honors in all three sports while also being named Female Athlete of the Year her senior year.  She is also a communications instructor on campus, equipment manager for LSSU’s Division II sports teams, and a member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).