Coach Taylor Tabbed to WGCA National Coach of the Year Watch List
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Arkansas women’s golf coach Shauna Taylor has been named to the Division I Jackie Steinmann Women’s Golf Coaches Association National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride Watch List. The award will be announced following the NCAA Championship this upcoming weekend.
This award by the WGCA is the highest annual coaching honor in women’s collegiate golf and awarded to the top coach in Division I, II, III and NAIA women’s golf. Coach Taylor is one of 22 finalists for the award.
In her 17th season at the helm, Taylor has continued to lead Arkansas women’s golf to be one of the most premier programs in the country. The team has sat inside the top 10 in the Scoreboard Presented by Clippd Rankings all season long, entering the NCAA Championship at No. 10. She has led the team to four wins, which marks the second most in school history and most since 2018 when her team set a program record with seven wins. Taylor led the team to its second NCAA Regional Championship in program history, first since 2018, at the NCAA Las Vegas Regionals with an even 864 (280-280-304) to win by four strokes. That added to the team’s trophy case this year with wins at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, Purdue Puerto Rico Classic and The Bruzzy.
Taylor’s 2023-24 team holds a 286.7 scoring average, which is the second best in school history, as well as 14 rounds at par or better, tied for the second most. Out of 10 tournament showings, the Hogs have finished within the top five in seven of those this year. She has three players inside the top 100 in the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd Rankings, led by Maria José Marin at No. 6 and followed by graduate student Kajal Mistry at No. 52 and Kendall Todd at No. 83. Coach Taylor and company have helped guide José Marin to SEC Freshman of the Year and All-SEC First Team honors, as well as a spot on the WGCA Freshman of the Year Presented by Strackaline Watch List.
Arkansas women’s golf is set to play at the NCAA Championships, making the program’s 12th appearance, from May 17-22 at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California. Ten of the program’s 12 appearances at the National Championship have been under Coach Taylor’s leadership, who has also been a part of 17 of the Hogs’ 22 NCAA Regional appearances (21 of those coming in consecutive years).
Division I Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride Watch List
Greg Allen, Vanderbilt
Kalen Anderson, South Carolina
Amy Bond, Florida State
Dan Brooks, Duke
Gerrod Chadwell, Texas A&M
Dana Dormann, San Jose State
Charlie Ewing, Mississippi State
Missy Farr-Kaye, Arizona State
Emily Fletcher, Northwestern
Laurie Gibbs, Pepperdine
Kory Henkes, Ole Miss
Kelley Hester, Clemson
Kim Lewellen, Wake Forest
Melissa Luellen, Auburn
Lauren Mason, SMU
Ryan Murphy, Texas
Aimee Neff, North Carolina
Derek Radley, Oregon
Garrett Runion, LSU
Ria Scott, Virginia
Justin Silverstein, USC
Shauna Taylor, Arkansas
Alicia Um Holmes, UCLA
Anne Walker, Stanford
MORE INFORMATION
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