Bio

John Dawson will enter his first season on the Shawnee State coaching staff during the 2024-25 academic year.

Dawson, who played at West Virginia State, Lakeland Community College, Kentucky Christian University and Shawnee State, averaged 16 points per game in his one season at Lakeland, and finished his career at Shawnee State averaging seven points per game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three-point range. Dawson ultimately led the Bears to their first NAIA National Tournament victory since the 2020-21 NAIA National Championship season through his efforts as a result.

At Huntington High School, Dawson led the Highlanders to four consecutive West Virginia Secondary Scholastic Athletic Commission (WVSSAC) State Championships.

He, along with each of his siblings -- Jordyn (Akron), Marques (Middle Tennessee State), and Mikal (Akron and Marshall) -- each obtained opportunities to play at the next level collegiately. Marques, who graduated from Ashland (Ky.) Rose Hill Christian, played alongside former McDonald's All-American O.J. Mayo (USC/Memphis Grizzlies/Dallas Mavericks/Milwaukee Bucks) and fellow NCAA D-I talent Henry Walker (Kansas State/Boston Celtics/New York Knicks/Miami Heat) at Rose Hill.