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May 14

GRAND CANYON

Grand Canyon University announced on Tuesday that women’s golf head coach Lauren Giesecke has stepped down from her position after nine seasons leading the program.

“We would like to thank Coach Giesecke for her nine seasons as GCU’s women’s golf head coach,” Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. “We wish her the best moving forward.”

Giesecke, whose team led the nation in head-to-head wins with 148-21 won-loss record, completed her ninth season at Grand Canyon. During her tenure, the Lopes claimed one WAC Championship in the 2017-18 season.

The 2024-25 academic year will be GCU’s final year in the WAC before transitioning to the West Coast Conference.

An immediate national search is underway for the next head coach of the Lopes program.

May 14

PENN STATE

Penn State head coach Kristen Simpson announced the hiring of Megan Furtney as assistant coach.

“I am excited to welcome Megan to Happy Valley! Her experience as both a student-athlete at Duke as well as Minnesota will be a great asset to our players and program,” commented Simpson. “Megan knows what it takes to compete and win at the national level! In addition, she will bring a ton of energy and passion to the team as well as the recruiting trail. I can’t wait for her to get started.”

Furtney, a St. Charles, Illinois, native recently completed her Master of Education in Sports Management at the University of Minnesota where she competed in all 10 tournaments for the Gophers this past season. Prior to her time in the Twin Cities, Furtney was a four-year member and two-year captain of the women’s golf team at Duke University where she graduated in 2023 with a degree in psychology and a minor in environmental science.

As a senior at Duke in 2022-23, Furtney helped lead the Blue Devils to second place finishes at the ACC Championship and the NCAA Regionals finishing tied for 15th and tied for 28th, individually at each event, her best two finishes of the season. Furtney was also a four-time WGCA All-American Scholar and a four-time ACC Honor Roll Student during her time in Durham.

“I’m excited to join a university like Penn State with such a rich tradition of exceptional academics and athletics! It is such an honor to be able to work alongside Coach Simpson,” mentioned Furtney. “I’m looking forward to continuing to build on the success of the women’s golf program in Happy Valley, this is a special place and I can’t wait to get to work with the team!”

May 13

COLORADO

Last fall, long-time Colorado head women’s golf coach Anne Kelly announced her retirement effective at the end of the 2023-24 season. Associate head coach Madeleine Sheils will be named head coach on July 1 when Kelly officially steps down.

With Sheils moving up, Colorado has an opening and is looking to hire an assistant coach. The position could be hired by June 1.

May 11

AUSTIN PEAY

Austin Peay State University has named Easton Key its new head men’s golf coach.

Key, who recently helped lead Arkansas State to a Sun Belt Conference championship, has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Arkansas State. Prior to his time on the staff at Arkansas State, he spent four seasons as the head men’s golf coach at Delta State after serving as a men’s and women’s assistant coach at Omaha during the 2016-17 season. Key began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arkansas State, where he worked from 2014-16.

“I’m extremely grateful and fired up to be named head coach of the Austin Peay men’s golf team,” said Key.

A native of Meridian, Key transferred to Arkansas State after two seasons at Meridian Community College, where he helped lead the Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 2010 NJCAA National Championship.

Key replaces Robbie Wilson. Austin Peay did not renew Wilson’s contract.

May 10

RICE

Rice University will add women’s golf for the 2026-27 season.

Thanks to a $5 million commitment from a former Rice women’s basketball player, Rice will expand its opportunities for female student-athletes with the introduction of women’s golf to the Owls’ list of intercollegiate sports.

Rice Vice President and Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland announced on Friday that Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, and her husband, John, have endowed Rice Athletics with one of the largest gift by any former female student-athlete to offer future generations of competitive women golfers the opportunity to attend Rice and compete for the Owls.

“In our conversations with Lynn, she made it very clear that this was a sport she wanted to support, and it is one that made sense,” McClelland stated. “25 schools in the state of Texas compete at the Division I level. 24 of them have women’s golf. Rice was the only one that did not… until now,” said McClelland.

Elsenhans was one of the initial group of women who ushered in the era of intercollegiate athletics at Rice as a letter winner on the Owls’ first basketball team in 1974-75 and went on to a distinguished career as an executive in the energy industry.

“College golf is one of the sports that’s both an individual sport and a team sport, and golf is a game in which you learn humility and it builds character,” said Elsenhans. “It’s the only sport in which you call penalties on yourself. John and I wanted to make this gift to have top scholars who play golf, have the opportunity to choose Rice.”

Rice will immediately launch a national search for the program’s first head coach who will begin the process of identifying and recruiting the student-athletes. An announcement on the future home course for Rice women’s golf will be announced in the coming months.

May 9

MINNESOTA

University of Minnesota women’s golf coach Rhyll Brinsmead has announced that she will leave the program – and the coaching profession – at the conclusion of the upcoming NCAA Championships to spend more time with her family.

Minnesota will be represented by Isabella McCauley at the May 17-22 NCAA Championships at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. McCauley advanced to the national championship tournament with a second-place finish at the Auburn Regional site yesterday.

“I have loved every minute of building this program, and I am so proud of the current state of the program and the work we have done in the last three-and-a-half years,” said Brinsmead. “I want to thank the Minnesota golf community for embracing my vision and supporting me wholeheartedly, as I absolutely loved keeping Minnesotans home.

“I owe a great amount of gratitude to Mark Coyle and Julie Manning for trusting me to lead this program. It was a tremendous responsibility and one I took seriously. The steps forward we made during my time as head coach are all due to the commitment and investment of our amazing athletes. The athletes are the hardest people to leave, and I want to truly thank you for being Gophers.

“Thank you to our donors and supporters, Minnesota is a special place due to the fans. After 21 years in coaching, I am excited to switch roles and start a new adventure with my family.”

Brinsmead was named Minnesota head coach in January 2021 after spending 13 years as the head coach at Kennesaw State. She was also an assistant coach at Iowa State from 2005-07.

Brinsmead-coached Gophers rank first, second and fourth in school history in 18-hole score, first, second, sixth and eighth in 36-hole score and first, second, fifth, eighth and tenth in 54-hole score. Minnesota also set a school record for the lowest 18-hole round (263 at the 2022 Evie Odom Invitational) and the lowest 54-hole round (845 at the 2022 Evie Odom Invitational) under Brinsmead.

“We thank Rhyll for her dedication and passion in leading our women’s golf program,” said Coyle. “The program is headed in the right direction, and we wish Rhyll and her family all the best moving forward. We will immediately start a national search for our next head coach.”

May 9

GEORGIA

Director of Athletics Josh Brooks announced a change in leadership of the Georgia women’s golf program on Thursday.

Josh Brewer just completed his 12th season as head coach at Georgia and guided the program to 16 tournament wins.

“I sincerely thank Josh Brewer for his 12 years leading our women’s golf team,” Brooks said. “We feel it is in the best interest of our program to move in a different direction. We wish Josh all the best and appreciate the time he has spent here at the University of Georgia.”

Brewer and the Bulldogs just completed the 2024 season with a sixth-place finish in the NCAA Auburn Regional. Overall, his teams qualified for regionals 10 times and advanced to the NCAA National Championships on four occasions.

A national search for Georgia’s next head coach will begin immediately.

May 8

LOUISIANA-MONROE

Nathan Weant has been named the head men’s golf coach of the University of Louisiana Monroe. Weant served as the interim head coach at this year’s Sun Belt Conference Golf Championships in April and helped lead the Warhawks to a runner-up finish. Weant was previously an assistant coach for the ULM golf program and has coached for over five seasons at the Division I level.

“We are thrilled to welcome Nathan Weant as our new head men’s golf coach,” said Director of Athletics John Hartwell. “I was fortunate to get to witness Nathan’s ‘audition’ when he served as our interim head coach a couple of weeks ago in the Sun Belt Championships. His knowledge of the game and interaction with our student-athletes was outstanding. His skill set as a recruiter and a strong player development guy will be great assets for our program. The fact that Nathan has been an assistant coach here at ULM, and has strong relationships at Bayou Desiard Country Club and throughout Northeast Louisiana, will serve both him and our program well. The future of ULM men’s golf and Warhawk athletics is bright!”

Weant previously served as an assistant coach for his alma mater, Texas Tech, for three seasons on the men’s golf coaching staff.

Before his time in Monroe as a coach, Weant was the head men’s golf coach at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa and led the program to the 2018 NJCAA Division I National Championship. Weant was named the NJCAA Dave Williams National Coach of the Year, the Delnor Poss National Coach of the Year and NJCAA District 3 Coach of the Year.

Weant played collegiately at Texas Tech for three seasons and played his final two years at Stephen F. Austin.

April 19

CALIFORNIA

After spending the last 29 seasons as the founding head coach of the California women’s golf program, Nancy McDaniel has announced her retirement.

Since the program debuted in 1995-96, McDaniel has guided the program to 10 NCAA Championships and 22 NCAA Regionals.

“It is with a grateful heart that I reflect on my time here at Cal,” said McDaniel. “I have had the pleasure of coaching some of the most talented and brightest women athletes at a world class university. Together with our supporters, administrators, and players, we created a very special Cal women’s golf family.”

McDaniel, who is from Portland, Oregon and played her college golf at the University of Washington from 1984-88 where she was an All American and earned Pac-10 All-Decade Team honors.

After garnering back-to-back Pac-10 and West Regional Coach of the Year awards in 2001 and 2002, McDaniel led the Bears to a nation-best seven first-place tournament finishes in 2002-03, their highest-ever national ranking at No. 2, and their first of two Pac 10/12 championships. After winning the NCAA Central Regional in 2003, the Bears went on to have three straight top-five showings at the NCAA Championships from 2004-06, including a program-best fourth-place finish in 2004.

“I am forever thankful that Cal took a chance on me 29 years ago as it led to a dream career.  Having the ability to use golf, a sport that I absolutely love, as a vehicle in mentoring young women both competitively and personally has been profound,” McDaniel said. “The joy comes from watching them step into greatness in all parts of their life and creating relationships with them that last a lifetime. I want to thank my associate head coach and dear friend Bev Terry for always handling our players with positivity, care and compassion, and for supporting me through these last eight years together.”

April 19

 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Saluki Athletics has announced that women’s golf head coach Cindy Bodmer will retire at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Bodmer has served as SIU’s women’s golf coach since September of 2022. She is well-known in the local golf community for starting the women’s golf program at Rend Lake College in 1999 and guiding that program to 15 NJCAA National Championship appearances.

“It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside Coach Bodmer these last two seasons,” said SIU Director of Golf Justin Fetcho “She poured everything she had into the program and I can’t thank her enough for her contributions both on and off the course. We wish Cindy the absolute best in her retirement and know that she will always be a Saluki.”

After her first season at Southern, Bodmer overhauled the program’s roster by bringing in six freshmen for the 2023-24 campaign, setting a solid foundation for the future.

“Leaving a program is never easy, but I take great comfort in the knowledge it is in great hands moving forward,” Bodmer said. “Coach Fetcho is a proven winner, and I feel fortunate to have worked with him these last two years. I also want to give a shout-out to my dedicated assistant coach, Sarah Haas, for her unwavering commitment to our student athletes. During my time at SIU, teaming with the athletic staff and coaches here was an amazing experience, one I will always hold dear.”

Saluki Athletics will conduct a national search this spring to hire Bodmer’s successor. The job is currently posted and calls can be made to Fetcho.

March 1

MOREHOUSE

Morehouse College has announced the appointment of Edgar Evans Jr. as the head coach of the esteemed Maroon Tigers golf team. An accomplished golf professional, entrepreneur and former Southern University golf team member, Evans brings over eight years of experience to inspire the team to unprecedented heights.

“Coach Evans is a transformative leader who brings a dynamic blend of expertise in golf and entrepreneurship to our program,” says Morehouse College athletic director Harold Ellis ’92. “His commitment to excellence and the holistic development of our student-athletes aligns seamlessly with the Morehouse ethos. We believe Coach Evans will inspire our golf team to achieve new heights, fostering a culture of success and sportsmanship that will make the Morehouse community proud.”

Evans joins Morehouse Athletics as the department expands its partnerships with corporations that support the Morehouse Mission and the college’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. One of those corporations is Eastside Golf, a global lifestyle apparel brand dedicated to driving change in golf culture on and off the course. Eastside has donated academic and sports funding for student athletes. Last week, Eastside Golf founders and former Morehouse Golf teammates, Olajuwon Ajakanku (‘12) and Earl Cooper (‘11) visited Morehouse to present the golf team with new clothes, shoes, book bags, and golf bags during a Feb. 22 ceremony held outside the Kilgore Student Center.

Coach Evans and the golf team also received the keys to a custom-painted Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Passenger Van adorned with Maroon Tigers’ and Eastside Golf Swingman logos. The van is on loan to the team for two years.

Ellis, Morehouse’s Athletic Director, said the gifts demonstrate that supporters of Morehouse Athletics are dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers, advancing inclusion and equity in communities, and making a difference for underrepresented student athletes in golf.

“We appreciate the support of our community partners. With these contributions and a new coach at the helm, the Maroon Tigers Golf Team is poised for success,” said Ellis. “Coach Evans has a national profile in golf and will help the team become even more competitive as he attracts new donors to support golf at Morehouse.”

January 26

CLEMSON

Katy Nahm has been named assistant women’s golf coach at Clemson.

Nahm spent time as an assistant coach/associate head coach at Kansas. Before heading to KU in 2011, Nahm spent two years as an instructor/coach at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. 

Nahm was an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina from 2007-09 and helped the team to a Big South Conference Championship in 2009. 

Nahm played golf at Coastal Carolina and was a three-time All-Big South selection, as well as the league’s freshman of the year, in 2004. In her sophomore season the Lady Chanticleers won the conference team title and she was the individual runner-up.

January 24

JAMES MADISON

James Madison Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne announced Carter Cheves has been extended as head coach of the men’s golf program through the 2027-28 season.

“Carter has been a positive presence and steadying force for our men’s golf program at James Madison,” Bourne said. “He inherited the program amid the COVID pandemic with his first competitive season a shortened spring campaign in 2021 before then facing CAA ineligibility due to transition in 2022. As the program moved to the Sun Belt, the team had a respectable first season in 2022-23 and has already climbed significantly in Sun Belt rankings based upon Fall results this year. He is a positive role model leading our student-athletes not only on the golf course but in all aspects of their collegiate experience. We’re excited for him to continue leading the young men in our golf program.”

Cheves has been part of the JMU men’s golf program for 10 years, first serving as an assistant coach from 2013-2018. After one year away from the program, he returned in 2019 to serve as associate head coach for one year before being named head coach in the summer of 2020. He served one year as head coach at Ohio for the 2018-19 season before returning to James Madison. He also filled the head coaching role for three seasons at Western Carolina prior to his first JMU stint.

Cheves graduated from UNCW in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Prior to UNCW, he played for two years at NC State.

USC UPSTATE

USC Upstate head men’s and women’s golf coach Todd Lawton has announced the hire of Matt Smith as the program’s assistant coach for the men’s and women’s programs.

Smith joins USC Upstate after two seasons as the head men’s golf coach at his alma mater, Truett McConnell University, in Cleveland, Georgia.

In 2022-23, TMU recorded the best season in program history, being ranked as high as No. 13 nationally at the close of the fall season. TMU would go on to claim the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) championship, earning a bid to the NAIA National Championships.

Smith was tabbed AAC Coach of the Year with student-athlete Caden Sanders bringing home AAC medalist honors. Both awards were firsts in program history. Competing in the National Championship, the Bears made the cut for the final round as a team and finished 13th (of 29 teams), marking the best finish in program history.

“I am thrilled to add Matt to our golf staff and look forward to his experience and golf acumen giving our players another resource to get the most out of their games on the course and life off the course,” said USC Upstate head men’s and women’s golf coach Todd Lawton. “As an accomplished player on his own, he brings a strong resume that will help him make an immediate impact. As a person, he is a man of high integrity and moral character and that resonated with me in the process of hiring our newest assistant coach.”

January 23

PEPPERDINE

Jason Allred, a 2014 Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and the first-ever recipient of the prestigious Byron Nelson Award, has been hired as an assistant coach at Pepperdine.

“I’m very thankful Jason is with us,” said head coach Michael Beard. “He will bring experience, competitiveness, a passion to serve, as well as a relational approach. Jason’s high character and love for Pepperdine will make this an easy transition for everyone involved with our program.”

Most recently, Allred has enjoyed working with a Christian Ministry called College Golf Fellowship (CGF) and continues to enjoy the opportunity of serving the world of collegiate and professional players through CGF.

Allred competed for the Waves from 1998-2002, helping lead the squad to West Coast Conference titles all four years he was in the lineup. The team advanced to the NCAA Championships twice, finishing in a tie for 23rd place in 2000 and eighth place in 2002.

He also earned a major prize given for the first time in 2002, the Byron Nelson Award, which is presented to a graduating men’s senior by the GCAA. The honor takes into account a nominee’s entire academic career, college golf career and his character and integrity while in college.

Allred, who is from Ashland, Oregon, arrived at Pepperdine with a victory at the 1997 U.S. Junior Championships.

After graduating, Allred reached golf’s highest level when he earned PGA Tour cards in 2005, 2008 and 2014. Other years, he competed on the Korn Ferry Tour. Throughout his career Allred competed in five major championships, 70 PGA Tour events and 152 tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour.

January 23

TROY

Nathan Griffin is the new assistant coach for the Troy men’s and women’s golf teams. Griffin joins the Troy staff following a stint as the assistant tournament director for the Alabama Junior Golf Organization.

Prior to his run with the AJGO, Griffin was an operations and administration assistant for the Auburn men’s and women’s golf teams during the fall of 2022, following a year as a graduate assistant for the Jacksonville State athletics department during the 2021-22 athletics season.

Griffin began his professional career as a first teaching assistant at Cider Ridge for 15 months before moving into the assistant pro role at the club for 18 months before moving into the collegiate athletics realm at Jacksonville State.

He was a four-year letterwinner at Faulkner.

January 10

NC STATE

North Carolina State women’s golf coach Page Marsh has made the decision to retire effective immediately. Marsh has served as head coach since its re-establishment in 2000,

Darby Sligh, who joined the Wolfpack staff in June 2018, will succeed Marsh as the program’s next head coach. Sligh just wrapped up her fifth season with the Wolfpack after previously serving as the head coach at Illinois State for 11 seasons (2007-18). 

“After 24 years, the time has come for me to retire from an extremely rewarding career here at NC State,” said Marsh. “I am so proud to have witnessed all the growth and incredible achievements these student-athletes have gained on and off the golf course. Thank you to all who have enriched my life in so many ways. I wish everyone associated with NC State continued success as you navigate the path to fulfill your dreams.”

Marsh, who was named 2002 ACC Coach of the Year, has guided NC State to 11 team tournament wins, 19 NCAA Regional Championship appearances and four NCAA Championship team berths over the last 23 years.

January 10

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Southern Illinois’ Cindy Bodmer announced she will retire at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Bodmer has served as SIU’s women’s golf coach since September of 2022. She is well-known in the local golf community for starting the women’s golf program at Rend Lake College in 1999 and guiding that program to 15 NJCAA National Championship appearances.

“It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside Coach Bodmer these last two seasons,” said SIU Director of Golf Justin Fetcho. “She poured everything she had into the program, and I can’t thank her enough for her contributions both on and off the course. We wish Cindy the absolute best in her retirement and know that she will always be a Saluki.”

After her first season at Southern, Bodmer overhauled the program’s roster by bringing in six freshmen for the 2023-24 campaign.

“Leaving a program is never easy, but I take great comfort in the knowledge it is in great hands moving forward,” Bodmer said. “Coach Fetcho is a proven winner, and I feel fortunate to have worked with him these last two years. I also want to give a shout-out to my dedicated assistant coach, Sarah Haas, for her unwavering commitment to our student athletes. During my time at SIU, teaming with the athletic staff and coaches here was an amazing experience, one I will always hold dear.”

Southern Illinois will conduct a national search this spring to hire Bodmer’s successor.