Shannon played college basketball for the North Texas Green and Kansas State Wildcats. After the 1947–48 season with Kansas State, he was ruled ineligible to play by the Big Seven after the conference re-interpreted a rule to count freshman and junior college play against a player\'s four-year limit of college play. Consequently, Shannon signed a one-year contract to play professionally with the Providence Steamrollers of the BAA. He averaged 13.4 points per game in 1948–49 and was named the league\'s Rookie of the Year, a designation not currently recognized by the NBA for that season. Although he had already signed and played with Providence, the team was still required to select him in the 1949 BAA draft to secure his rights. He was selected with the first overall pick of the draft. However, the Steamrollers would fold their organization before the start of the first season with the NBA name. As a result, his rights were picked up by the Boston Celtics for the 1949-50 NBA season.\n', '

Following his playing career, Shannon became head coach at Topeka High School in Kansas, where he coached from 1950 to 1954 before becoming an assistant to Tex Winter at Kansas State. In 1964, Shannon was named head coach of Virginia Tech. Shannon coached the Hokies to a 104–67 record and its best NCAA Tournament finish in 1967, reaching the Mideast Regional final before falling to Dayton. In 1971, Shannon resigned to join Virginia Tech\'s physical education faculty full-time. Shannon was also coach of the 1960 Puerto Rican basketball team in the 1960 Olympics.\n', '

Howie Shannon died of lung cancer on August 16, 1995 in Plano, Texas.\n', '

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