2007-08 Coaches

Chad Shutler returns for his third season as the head women's basketball coach at Bluffton University in 2007-08. He led Bluffton to a 6-19 record last year, the Beavers' best campaign since 2000-01. In addition, he is an assistant professor in the health, physical education and recreation department.

Shutler, who is a native of Bucyrus, Ohio, graduated from Bucyrus High School in 1993. A three-sport athlete at Bucyrus, Shutler earned varsity letters in football, basketball and tennis. Coach Shutler graduated from Heidelberg College in 1997 with a health and physical education teaching degree and certification. He continued his education at Bowling Green State University where he earned his master's degree in 1999.

Following his graduate work at BGSU, Shutler taught health and physical education in the Bluffton school district, a position he held for six years. During his first year at Bluffton, he served as an assistant coach for the boy's varsity basketball team. He accepted the head coaching position in 2000 and spent four years rebuilding the program. Shutler was selected to coach the OHSBCA District 8 all-star game in 2004. He was the assistant boy's basketball coach at Columbus Grove High School in 2004-05.

Shutler feels comfortable in the athletics department at Bluffton University as he was the graduate assistant coach for the men's basketball team from 1997-99 under current head coach Guy Neal. During his stint at Bluffton, Chad also served as the head men's and women's tennis coach. While attending Heidelberg, Shutler spent one season as the junior varsity boy's basketball coach at Mohawk High School and two years as a volunteer high school basketball coach at Tiffin Columbian High School.

Shutler is a member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).

Coach Shutler resides in Bluffton with his wife, Wendy, and sons, Tyson and Landon.

Cara Noel will be entering her first year at Bluffton University as head coach of the women's tennis team. Noel is also the graduate assistant coach for the women's basketball program.

Noel most recently taught and coached at Fostoria Community Schools where she led the girl's basketball team to a 5-15 record in her first year as head coach. She has also coached at Arcadia High School for two years while directing several AAU basketball teams during the summer.

A 1999 graduate of Arcadia High School, Noel completed her health and physical education degree at Ohio Northern University in 2005. While completing her coursework at ONU, she served as a student assistant coach for the Polar Bears from 2001-2004. During this time she was responsible for assisting in all aspects of the game from recruiting athletes and organizing practice to player development. She is excited to be a part of the athletics program at Bluffton University.

Noel currently resides in Findlay, Ohio.

Scott Gleason enters his second season at Bluffton University as an assistant basketball coach for the women's basketball team. Coach Gleason brings a wealth of knowledge and basketball experience to the program after coaching the game of basketball for the past twenty years.

Gleason, who graduated from Bluffton High School and attended Lima Technical College, has served as a freshman and assistant varsity boy's basketball coach at Bluffton High School.

Coach Gleason returns to Coach Shutler's staff after serving as an assistant at Bluffton High School during Shutler's tenure as head coach.

Gleason is currently employed in Lima and lives in Bluffton with his wife, Tiffany, daughter, Whitney, and son, Levi, a freshman at Bluffton High School.

"I am very pleased to have an assistant of Coach Gleason's caliber join our staff," stated Shutler. "His dedication and passion to the game as well as an ability to teach that is going to help us tremendously, not only this season but in years to come as we build our program."