Some of the greatest players had successful college golf careers, including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Annika Sorenstam.
Those early days undoubtedly laid the foundations for their success, and a crucial element of their formative years in college was the coach entrusted with harnessing their raw potential.
But who are the greatest college golf coaches of all time? Several have had careers that stand out from the crowd.
Eddie Merrins – UCLA
Eddie Merrins turned from PGA Tour pro to coach
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To say Eddie Merrins had a long and distinguished career in the game would be an understatement.
The Little Pro, as he was known, passed away in 2023 at the age of 91, but not before making over 200 appearances as a player on the PGA Tour, becoming a coach to Hollywood stars, and later of the UCLA men’s college golf team, where he coached 16 All-Americans and led the team to the 1988 NCAA Division I Championship.
Jesse Haddock – Wake Forest
Haddock, who passed away in 2018, had a 32-year career at Wake Forest, leading the Deacons to three national titles and 15 ACC titles along the way.
That included the teams of 1974 and 1975, when Wake Forest produced arguably the greatest college golf team of all time, with the likes of Curtis Strange and Jay Haas helping it to successive NCAA Division I Championship titles.
Mike Holder – Oklahoma State
Mike Holder coached Viktor Hovland
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Holder was the men’s golf coach at Oklahoma State Cowboys for 32 years between 1973 and 2005, where he became one of only four coaches in any sport in NCAA history to win a national championship in four different decades.
Overall, he led the team to eight national titles, 25 conference titles and coached 38 first-team All-Americans. He also produced future stars including Viktor Hovland, Rickie Fowler and Charles Howell III.
Buddy Alexander – University of Florida
Buddy Alexander nurtured the career of Camilo Villages, among others
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Alexander coached the Gators between 1988 and 2014, winning two NCAA Division I Championships, in 1993 and 2001. His teams also won 10 SEC championships, while his players claimed eight individual SEC Championship titles. He also produced numerous PGA Tour professionals, including Billy Horschel and Camilo Villegas.
Dave Williams – University of Houston
If we’re gauging the best college coach of all time on NCAA titles alone, Williams would be the winner, having coached the University of Houston men’s team to 16 titles between 1956 and 1985, along with 14 conference championships.
Known as the Father of College Golf, he also revolutionized the college game, while the scoring system he invented is still used at the high school level through to Division I today.
Bruce Heppler – Georgia Tech
Bruce Heppler has a string of accolades with Georgia Tech
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Heppler has been the head men’s coach at Georgia Tech since 1995, and during that time he has won 13 ACC Championships. He has also been named ACC Coach of the Year 10 times and was named the 2002 National Men’s Coach Of The Year.
In September 2024, he signed a five-year contract extension, which will take his tenure into a fourth decade.
John Fields – University of Texas
John Fields has led his teams to two NCAA Division I titles
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Fields entered his 37th year as a golf coach in 2024 and can look back on a string of impressive achievements, including leading the Longhorns to NCAA Division I titles in 2012 and 2022. He has also nurtured the careers of future modern-era greats including Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler.
Conrad Ray – Stanford University
Former Stanford player Ray has coached the men’s team at the Pac-12 Conference university since 2004, and led the team to the NCAA Division I Championship title in 2007 and 2019. He has also been a key figure in the careers of PGA Tour professionals including Patrick Rodgers and Maverick McNealy.
Jay Seawall – University of Alabama
Jay Seawall coached players including Justin Thomas
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Seawall was named the University of Alabama’s head coach in 2002 and led it to back-to-back NCAA Division I Championship titles in 2013 and 2014. His teams have also claimed four SEC Championship titles, while he helped develop the careers of PGA Tour pros including former World No.1 Justin Thomas.
Linda Vollstedt – Arizona State
Linda Vollstedt (front right) led Arizona State to six titles
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Vollstedt was the head coach of the Arizona State women’s golf team between 1980 and 2001. Incredibly, she led the team to no fewer than six NCAA Division I Championship titles between 1990 and 1998. Thanks to those achievements, she was inducted into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Dan Brooks – Duke University
Brooks is the most winningest coach in women’s NCAA Division I history
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Brooks is the coach with most wins in women’s NCAA Division I history, having led Duke University to seven titles in his four decades as head coach. He has also been named ACC Coach of the Year 14 times, while he has helped the careers of LPGA Tour stars including Brittany Lang and Leona Maguire.
Kim Evans – Auburn University
Evans, who stepped away from her role as head coach of the Auburn women’s golf team in 2015, led the program to eight SEC Championship titles, 20 consecutive NCAA regional appearances, and seven top-10 finishes in 14 NCAA Championship appearances.
Anne Walker – Stanford University
Anna Walker has coached players including Rose Zhang
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Walker is a three-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association Coach of the Year, while she has also been named Pac-12 Coach of the Year four times.
The main reason for those accolades has been her guidance of the Stanford women’s team to its first three NCAA Division I Championship titles, while she has also overseen the development of players including Albane Valenzuela, Andrea Lee and Rose Zhang.
Mic Potter – University of Alabama
Mic Potter has built an impressive resume
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Potter led the Furman Paladins to 10 Southern Conference Championships, including the title in 2005. During his time at the university, he was also the Southern Conference Coach of the Year eight times and led the team to 36 tournament titles.
He added a women’s NCAA Division I Championship team title to his resume in 2012 after joining the University of Alabama as its women’s golf coach – the team’s maiden success. He has also coached future LPGA Tour stars including Emma Talley.
Therese Hession – Ohio State University
Therese Hession had a long career at Ohio State
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Hession was the Ohio State women’s golf coach between 1992 and 2021. During her time in the role, she was named two-time NCAA Coach of the Year and six-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. She also led the Buckeyes to 11 Big Ten Championships and 17 NCAA Championship appearances.
In 2023, two years after she stepped away from her final role at the university as the director of men’s and women’s golf, the Lady Buckeye Invitational was renamed in her honor to the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational.
