Tom Shea completed his 11th season as the head coach of the Upper Iowa football team in 2019-20 after taking the reigns as the 15th head coach of the Peacocks in January of 2009. Following the season, Shea has transitioned to a new role on the staff acting as the special adviser to the head coach through the completion of the 2020 season.
Shea built a program that put together four winning seasons in the last seven including three consecutive winning seasons from 2013-15, something that had not been done at Upper Iowa since 1964, more than 50 years ago. The Peacocks went 6-5 for three straight seasons, with the sixth win of the year coming against Wayne State College in each of those seasons. Along the way, UIU has picked up wins for the first time in program history over St. Cloud State, Winona State, Sioux Falls, Augustana, Concordia-St. Paul, and Southwest Minnesota State.
Shea spent three years at Upper Iowa as the defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2007 before becoming the head coach at Dakota State University, an NAIA institution in Madison, South Dakota, during the 2007 and 2008 football seasons.
The Peacock football program is the sixth program that Shea has led as the head football coach. The most notable of his years came in 1990 at Peru State College where he led the team as the Head Coach and Athletic Director to the NAIA Division II National Title. Shea was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year after the title run.
Shea began his collegiate coaching career at Dakota State College in 1979 as the defensive coordinator. He switched to the offensive side of the ball in 1980 as the offensive coordinator before taking over as the Head Coach and Athletic Director from 1981-1983.
In 1985, Shea moved on to Peru State where he began as the offensive line coach. After just one year, he was promoted and became the Head Coach posting a 35-17-1 record over the following five seasons. PSC won two conference titles and made the NAIA National Playoffs twice winning the title in 1990. The four squads from 1987 to 1990 were all ranked nationally during the season.
After his success at Peru State, Shea moved north to the University of Mary. Shea was the head football coach at U-Mary from 1991-1997. The Marauders won two conference titles and were ranked nationally from 1991-1996. U-Mary qualified for the NAIA National Playoffs three times under Shea; the team reached the quarterfinals in 1993 and the championship semifinals in 1995. Shea led the Marauders to a 46-15-1 record in six seasons.
Shea was the Defensive and Recruiting Coordinator for the University of Central Arkansas for the 1997 and 1998 seasons and the Head Coach at William Penn University in 1999, before coming to Fayette and the Peacock football program for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons.
In his 19 years as a head coach, Shea has posted a 108-84-3 record and reestablished winning programs at three universities.
After graduating from Sparta High School in Sparta, Wisconsin, Shea earned a B.S. in Physical Education from Dakota State College and his M.S. in Physical Education from South Dakota State University.
Tom Shea: Year-by-Year at Upper Iowa (42-79, 11 seasons)
| 2019 |
2-9 (0-7 NSIC South) |
Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America Third Team and Super Region Four Second Team - Erik Hansen || D2CCA All-Super Region Four Second Team - Erik Hansen || All-NSIC First Team - Erik Hansen || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Alex Stevens, Sam Jennings, Christian Ruff |
| 2018 |
3-8 (1-6 NSIC South) |
Don Hansen All-Super Region Three Fourth Team - Brent Lammers || All-NSIC South Division First Team - Brent Lammers || All-NSIC South Division Second Team - Jordan Rommes || All-NSIC South Division Honorable Mention - Mitchel Siech, Alex Schneider, Jesse Hynek |
| 2017 |
6-5 (3-4 NSIC South |
Don Hanson All-Super Region Three Third Team - Jojo Simpson, Quintin Taylor || CoSIDA Academic All-American - Nate Skare || All-NSIC First Team - Jojo Simpson, Quintin Taylor || All-NSIC Second Team - Ryan Parmely, Nate Skare || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Jarred Edmonds, Brent Lammers, Keith Schwickerath, Mitchel Siech |
| 2016 |
3-8 (2-5 NSIC South) |
All-NSIC 2nd Team - Derrick Portis, Jojo Simpson || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Jalen Amis, Brian Steffensmeier, Jordan Rommes, Zach Ries |
| 2015 |
6-5 (3-4 NSIC South) |
USA College Football & D2Football.com All-American Second Team - Alex Wahl || Associated Press Little All-American Second Team - Alex Wahl || USA College Football Division II All-American Second Team - Jevell Rollins || AFCA All-America Team - Alex Wahl || NCAA Division II CCA All-Super Region 3 First Team - Alex Wahl || All-NSIC First Team - Alex Wahl, Jevell Rollins || All-NSIC Second Team - Jalen Chambers, Nate Skare || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Cole Stephen, Jalen Amis, Trey MacTaggart |
| 2014 |
6-5 (2-5 NSIC South) |
Daktronics, Don Hansen's Football Gazette, and Bryone Sports Network Super Region 3 First Team - Lucas Hefty || Beyond Sports Network Super Region 3 First Team & Daktronics Super Region 3 Second Team - Alex Wahl || Don Hansen's Football Gazette & Beyond Sports Network Super Region 3 Second Team - Chris Smith || Don Hansen's Football Gazette & Beyond Sports Network Super Region 3 Third Team - Derek Giesking || All-NSIC First Team - Casey Beck, Derek Giesking, Chris Smith, Lucas Hefty, Jevell Rollins, Alex Wahl || All-NSIC Second Team - Tyler Fisher, Chayz Holt || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Cole Jaeschke, Javon Moore |
| 2013 |
6-5 (3-4 NSIC South) |
NCAA Division II Second Team All-American - Chris Smith || Daktronics Super Region 3 Second Team - Chris Smith, Ethan Douglas || Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-Super Region #3 Team - Chris Smith (1st Team), Lucas Hefty (3rd Team), Ethan Douglas (3rd Team) || All-NSIC First Team - Chris Smith, Lucas Hefty, Ethan Douglas || All-NSIC Second Team - Keaton Martin, Casey Beck, Keaton Hosch || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Jordan Andera, Alex Gonzalez, Derek Giesking |
| 2012 |
2-9 (0-7 NSIC South) |
All-NSIC First Team - Keaton Hosch, Casey Beck, Tony Leggett || All-NSIC Second Team - Cole Jaeschke, Ethan Douglas || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Lucas Sharp, Jordan Andera |
| 2011 |
3-8 (2-8 NSIC) |
Daktronics Super Region 3 Second Team - Chris Smith || NSIC Offensive Player of the Year & NSIC Newcomer of the Year - Chris Smith || All-NSIC First Team - Chris Smith, Matt Steffensmeier, Tony Leggett || All-NSIC Second Team - Jessie Hubbard, Nick Lepperd || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Shay Gutman, Cole Jaeschke |
| 2010 |
2-9 (2-8 NSIC) |
All-NSIC First Team - Nate Curran || All-NSIC Second Team - Jessie Hubbard || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Preston Spencer, Ethan Douglas |
| 2009 |
3-8 (2-8 NSIC) |
Super Region 3 First Team - Nate Curran || All-NSIC First Team - Nate Curran || All-NSIC Honorable Mention - Ben Curran, Jessie Hubbard |
