The Connecticut Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2025 inductees, and former Connecticut College head coach and director of athletics Fran Shields is one of seven honorees.

This year's class includes inductees from the players, coaches, officials and contributors categories. The ceremony will take place on Saturday January 24 at Il Gusto Italian Restaurant in Cheshire, Connecticut..

Shields, who will be honored as a contributor, joins a class that includes Laura Field (coach, Fairfield University), John Hackett (official, CT Lacrosse Officials Association), Holmes Harden Jr. (player, New Canaan HS, Kent School, University of North Carolina), Matt Madalon (player, Darien HS, Roanoke College), Case Matheis (player, Darien HS, Duke University), and Sean Quirk (coach, Endicott College, Boston Cannons).

Shields has spent over five decades as a coach and administrator at Connecticut College. In his 23-year coaching career, he had a 170-138 (.552) record, including a nine-year run earning ECAC postseason berths (1990-1998) that included an ECAC New England title in 1996 and runner-up finish in 1998. Shields was honored as Division III Coach of the Year in 1993. As Director of Athletics, he was a member of the USILA executive board, NCAA Lacrosse Championships Committee (chair in 2012), All-American selection and Division III rankings committees.

Locally, Shields helped to start youth programs in Groton and Old Lyme and is co-founder of the East Lyme Lacrosse Association. He continued to grow the game by providing clinics, summer camps and facilities including the Camel Jam tournament that drew over 75 teams from New England and Long Island. He is also co-sponsor of the James J. Courtney Award given annually to the most outstanding player in the boys and girls ECC Championship games. Shields has been previously inducted into the St. Lawrence University Athletics Hall of Fame (1994 and 2008), Geneva (NY) Sports Hall of Fame, and the Connecticut College Athletics Hall of Fame (2024). 

The mission of the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame is to honor men and women, past and present, who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and through the example of their lives, personify the sport of lacrosse.

Tickets for the Connecticut Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame are available through the Foundation Website (https://ctlacrosse.sportngin.com/). Tickets are $60 for adults and $30 for children under 12. For more information please contact CTLF Hall of Fame Committee Chairperson Phil Schneider (phillip-schneider@att.net).