Brad McMakin
Oklahoma, 1991
Head Coach
29th Season as a Head Coach
19th season at Arkansas
(updated August 2024)
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#RAZORFACTS
• Nine NCAA Championship team appearances and two individuals at Arkansas
• 2009 NCAA runner-up
• 2019 SEC Champion, 2021 SEC runner-up
• 2009 SEC Coach of the Year
• Six-time NCAA Regional Runner-Up (2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2023)
• Two SEC Individual Champions (Sebastian Cappelen in 2013 and Segundo Oliva Pinto in 2021)
• Advanced to 16 consecutive NCAA Regionals at Arkansas and 22 of the last 23 as a head coach overall
• Has led the Razorbacks to 32 tournament wins with 26 individual medalists
• 27 All-America honors (22 at Arkansas)
• 35 All-Region honors
• 21 All-SEC selections and 10 SEC All-Freshmen team honorees
• 135 Razorbacks named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll (101 upper class and 34 first-year)
Head coach Brad McMakin has the Arkansas Razorbacks in a position to contend for a national title year-in and year-out by cultivating a team culture that has resulted in record-breaking performances on the course and in the classroom.
A highly successful coach prior to joining the Razorbacks, McMakin turned around the Arkansas program in just two years and took the team to new heights in the spring of 2009 when he led them to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships. In his 18 seasons as the head coach, McMakin’s teams have been to 16 NCAA Regionals (Note: 2020 NCAA postseason was canceled due to COVID-19) and nine NCAA Championships, while winning 32 team titles along the way, including the 2019 SEC Championship.
While his teams have shown an ability to rise to the best competition, it is McMakin’s ability to recruit and develop top-notch talent that makes him successful. His 2016-17 recruiting class was tops in the nation and his 2023-24 class ranked fourth-best. Since his arrival, Arkansas has had 21 All-SEC selections, 10 SEC All-Freshman selections, 22 All-American honors and 35 All-Region picks while six Razorbacks have played in a total of nine Arnold Palmer Cups. At least one Razorback has been named All-Region in each of the last 17 years including Sebastian Cappelen and Julian Perico being four-time honorees. Andrew Landry and Sebastian Cappelen were three-time All-Americans while David Lingmerth, Ethan Tracy and Taylor Moore were twice named All-American.
Arkansas’ success on the course is boosted by a foundation of success in the classroom. McMakin’s teams have combined to land 101 student-athletes on the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll (3.0+ GPA) and 34 on the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. On four occasions, two of his players were named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year including Austin Cook (2012 and 2103) and Mason Overstreet (2019 and 2020) – both of whom earned Academic All-America honors as well.
Individually, McMakin was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2009 and was a finalist for the Dave Williams National Coach of the Year award in 2011.
His players own 16 of the school’s top 17 single-season scoring averages, including Jaboc Skov Olesen becoming the first Razorback to finish the season with a scoring average under 60 while Julian Perico and Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira have combined to own five of the top eight alone. As a team, the 2023-24 Razorbacks had five golfers finish with a scoring average under 72 while shattering the school’s team single-season scoring average by nearly two full stories at 282.97.
McMakin has produced seven PGA Tour members Austin Cook, Andrew Landry, David Lingmerth, Ethan Tracy, Sebastian Cappelen, Nicolas Echavarria and Taylor Moore. Lingmerth, Cook, Landry, Moore and Echavarria have combined to win six PGA TOUR wins.
2023-24 Highlights
• Team won twice, finished among the top four in 9 of 11 events, was ranked #8 in the final GCAA poll and 13th in the final NCAA/Clippd poll.
• Team shattered the school single-season scoring record by nearly two full strokes at 282.97.
• Jacob Skov Olesen was named second team All-American, All-Region and first team All-SEC. He became the first Razorback to finish the season with a scoring average under 70 with a school-record 69.94. He additionally set a school season record with 16 rounds in the 60’s and tied the school season record with 24 rounds at par or better. In the summer of 2024, Olesen played for Team International and won The Amateur Championship.
• John Driscoll III won the Blessings Collegiate and was named All-Region. His season scoring average of 70.67 ranked fourth on the school’s all-time list. He additionally ranked seventh on the school’s season rounds in the 60’s (10) and season rounds at par or better (20).
• Thomas Curry was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and his season scoring average of 72.39 ranked fourth-best among Razorback freshman all-time.
• Shot a school-record 8229 at the 2024 SEC Championship, finishing fourth after stroke play.
2022-23 Highlights
• Team scoring average of 284.68 ranks second in program history.
• Had the lowest team round (266), 36-hole score (537) and 54-hole score (819) at an NCAA Regional in Razorback history. In fact, the 266 (-22) tied for the second-lowest single round in NCAA Regional history. Also, the 819 (-45) is the fifth-lowest, 54-hole score in NCAA Regional history (all of the top five were in 2022-23).
• Team was runner-up at the 2023 NCAA Salem Regional. Segundo Oliva Pinto (203), Wil Gibson (205) and Fernandez de Oliveira (206) set the top three individual 54-hole scores in program history at a Regional.
• Fernandez de Oliveira won the Hal Williams Collegiate. Also, he won the 2023 Latin America Amateur Championship to earn exemptions to the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship and Mexico Open. He additionally was selected to play in his second straight Arnold Palmer Cup.
• Perico and Fernandez de Oliveira were named PING All-Region. Perico became just the second Razorback to be a four-time All-Region pick.
• The team produced five of the top 11 single rounds in school history including the record 266 at the NCAA Regional while producing three of the top six 54-hole scores all time including the record 819 at the Regional.
2021-22 Highlights
• The Razorbacks won twice (Blessings Collegiate Invitational and SEC Fall Match Play), finished runner-up twice and registered a total of eight top-4 finishes
• Placed ninth at the 2022 NCAA Championship
• Transfer Fernandez de Oliveira flourished under McMakin. He was on the Fred Haskins Award Watch List and made the Arnold Palmer Cup while being named All-American (third team by Golfweek), All-Central Regional and All-SEC (second team). Fernandez de Oliveira also won his first collegiate title (Jackson T. Stephens Cup). He additionally won the South America Amateur, was runner-up at the Latin America Amateur and place ninth – two shots off the lead – at the NCAA Championship.
• Graduate transfer (and Fayetteville native) Luke Long also won his first collegiate event – shooting 11-under at the Blessings Collegiate – while earning All-Region and All-SEC (second team).
• Segundo Oliva Pinto also earned All-Region to mark the third time three Razorbacks were named All-Region in the same season.
2020-21 Highlights
• Arkansas was SEC runner-up, NCAA Kingston Springs Regional runner-up and tied for 11th at the NCAA Championship.
• The two new faces made strong contributions as Oliva Pinto was SEC Champion and Manuel Lozada was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
• Perico repeated on the All-SEC, secured his third All-Region honor, was named honorable mention All-America and represented Team International at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup. He additionally won the Legends Collegiate with a score of 199 (-14) which was the second-best in program history at the time (trailing his own school record).
• Tyson Reeder added his first career All-Region honor. He won the Tiger Invitational with a 10-under score of 206,
2019-20 Highlights
• The season was shaping up to be a memorable one, but it turned out to one to forget as the promising campaign was cut short due to COVID-19. The final two regular-season events, the SEC Championship and NCAA postseason were canceled.
• Despite it all, the team scoring average of 284.4 through eight events set the all-time program record. Also, Perico (70.38) and William Buhl (70.65) rank 1-2 in the program’s single-season scoring history.
• Buhl won the Gopher Invitational for the second straight year and was named both All-American and second team All-SEC. In the summer of 2019, Buhl won the Canadian Amateur.
• Perico claimed first team All-SEC and was tabbed All-Region for the second straight year.
• Overstreet was named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for a second straight year and added Academic All-America honors.
2018-19 Highlights
• Veterans Mason Overstreet, William Buhl and Luis Garza – along with 2018 transfer Tyson Reeder and 2019 freshman Julian Perico – won the 2019 SEC Championship, the program’s first conference title since 1995. The team was seventh after stroke play before defeating Vanderbilt (3-2), Texas A&M (3-2) and Auburn (3-1-1) to claim the title.
• Perico was named to the SEC All-Freshman team, PING All-Region and advanced to the NCAA Championship. He won the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate with a program-record score of 197 (64-65-68). His team-leading scoring average of 71.54 set the all-time scoring mark by a Razorback freshman.
• Buhl won the Gopher Invitational.
• Overstreet was named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
• In January 2019, former Razorback Alvaro Ortiz extended his amateur status for a final crack at a Latin America Amateur Championship after a pair of runner-up finishes. The move paid off as he won the title and earned invitations to the Masters and Open Championship.
2017-18 Highlights
• Arkansas won twice (Gopher Invitational and Southern Intercollegiate) and finished 12th at the NCAA Championship.
• Ortiz, Overstreet and Garza all claimed medalist honors during the season with Overstreet adding two runner-up finishes as well.
• Ortiz was named to the Palmer Cup, was named All-American, All-Region and second team All-SEC.
• Overstreet was on the All-Region team.
2016-17 Highlights
• Featuring the No. 1 freshman class in the country, the young squad showed dividends on the course by winning two tournament titles.
• Overstreet went on a run for the ages during postseason play in his inaugural year. He became the first rookie in Razorback history to finish even par at the SEC Championship and he followed that up with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional to qualify as an individual for the National Championship. On the national stage, he posted rounds of 70-68-72-71 – 281 (-7) to finish as national runner-up and record the best Razorback finish in 54 years. He earned All-American honors and became the second player in school history to finish inside the top five at the National Championship, joining R.H. Sikes who won the program’s only National Title in 1963.
• Ortiz earned All-Region and Garza was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
2015-16 Highlights
• The team won the All-American Intercollegiate, finished third at the SEC Championship, tied for second at the NCAA Regional and placed 12th at the NCAA Championship.
• Taylor Moore added individual medalist honors at the All-American Intercollegiate while Nicolas Echavarria won at the Southern Intercollegiate and Ortiz won at the Aggie Invitational.
• Moore repeated as All-American and Charles Kim picked up All-American honors as a freshman.
• Moore, Echavarria and Ortiz landed on the All-Region team.
• Moore was voted second team All-SEC for the second straight year.
• Former Razorback David Lingmerth represented his native Sweden in the 2016 Olympics.
2014-15 Highlights
• Arkansas won the Towson Invitational.
• Kolton Crawford had five top-5 finishes and Moore added six top-10’s as each was named to the All-Region team.
• Moore earned All-American honors as well as second team All-SEC.
2013-14 Highlights
• The Razorbacks won twice (Crooked Stick Intercollegiate and Gator Invitational), and was runner-up at the NCAA Columbia (Mo.) Regional and tied for 18th at the NCAA Championship.
• Sebastian Cappelen won the Crooked Stick Intercollegiate and tallied 11 top-20 finishes in 12 events played. He was named second team All-American, All-Region and first team All-SEC.
• Moore added All-Region honors.
2012-13 Highlights
• Arkansas won twice, once in the fall at the Olympia Field/Illini Invitational and once in the spring at the General Hackler Championship, and had seven total top-4 finishes. The team was runner-up at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional and went on to place 10th at the NCAA Championship as Echavarria (T13) and Cappelen (T16) each produced top-20 finishes.
• Cappelen was named second team All-American, All-Region and first team All-SEC.
• Cappelen was the 2013 SEC Champion and Austin Cook was the NCAA Regional runner-up.
• Cook was SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second straight time and added Academic All-America honors.
• Echavarria added All-American honors and Cook was named All-Region.
• Moore was voted to the SEC All-Freshman team.
• In the summer of 2013, Cappelen played in his third straight Palmer Cup.
2011-12 Highlights
• The Razorbacks enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in school history in 2011-12 when McMakin led Arkansas to a school-record seven team victories in 10 regular-season tournaments. The team won four of five meets in the fall and, in five spring tournaments, won three times with a runner-up and third-place finish. The season came to an end with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional. Overall, the team posted a 131-17-0 record.
• Cappelen led Arkansas to the CABO Collegiate title with an individual win as well.
• Cappelen was named All-America and Ethan Tracy, who had six top-5 finishes, earned All-American honors as well. The pair added All-Region and first team All-SEC honors.
• Crawford was voted to the SEC All-Freshman team.
• Cook earned the first of two SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
• In the summer of 2012, Cappelen played in his second straight Palmer Cup.
2010-11 Highlights
• McMakin was one of 12 finalists for the Dave Williams Award for National Coach of the Year.
• Arkansas won six times and added six top-5 finishes. One of the top-5’s came in the NCAA Southeast Regional, which qualified the Hogs for the NCAA Championship where they placed 15th. Individually, Cook placed 10th for the best Razorback finish at nationals since 1994.
• Jamie Marshall led Arkansas to the team title at the CABO Collegiate with an individual win.
• Cappelen helped Arkansas win the Seminole Intercollegiate by taking home individual medalist honors. Overall, he had five, top-5 finishes.
• For the third time ever and the first time since 1993, a trio of Razorbacks was named All-American including Cappelen (third team), Cook (honorable mention) and Tracy (honorable mention).
• Cappelen and Tracy were named All-Region and both were named second team All-SEC. Cappelen added SEC All-Freshman team honors.
• In the summer of 2011, Cappelen played in his first Palmer Cup.
2009-10 Highlights
• Arkansas won the Redstone Challenge, was runner-up four times and had a total of nine top-5 finishes.
• Jamie Marshal won the Wolverine at Radrick Farms and Lingmerth won the Battle at the Beach. Lingmerth added two runner-up finishes.
• Lingmerth was tabbed All-American and first team All-SEC. He and Marshall added All-Region honors.
• Cook was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
• In the summer of 2010, Lingmerth became the first Razorback to play in the Arnold Palmer Cup.
2008-09 Highlights
• The current and future success of Arkansas golf was built, in part, by McMakin’s third team with the Razorbacks. Arkansas’ 2008-09 season was certainly one for the record books as it shocked some of the best programs in the nation on its way to NCAA runner-up honors.
• Finishing outside the top five in just one of 13 tournaments that season, the Razorbacks put together an impressive spring that featured five straight second-place finishes, which included the SEC, NCAA Regional and NCAA Championships.
• At nationals, the Hogs defeated Washington (3 & 2) and Georgia (3-1-1) in match play, before eventually falling on the final hole of the championship match to Texas A&M to finish runner-up.
• Arkansas’ impressive spring earned McMakin SEC Coach of the Year honors, making him the first Razorback mentor to take the distinction.
• Tracy and Landry each won during the season and were joined on the All-Region team by Lingmerth.
• Landry (third team) and Lingmerth (honorable mention) were named All-America while earning first team and second team, respectively, All-SEC honors.
• Tracy was voted to the SEC All-Freshman team.
2007-08 Highlights
• Arkansas won the Border Olympics and reached the program’s first NCAA Regional under McMakin.
• Jason Turner won the Oklahoma Intercollegiate while Landry complied nine top-20 finishes.
• Landy was named All-American, All-Region and second team All-SEC.
• Lingmerth was voted All-Region and Sam Chavez was on the SEC All-Freshman team.
2006-07 Highlights
• The Razorbacks won in McMakin’s first event as Arkansas head coach (Del Walker Intercollegiate).
• Landry qualified for the NCAA Regional as an individual, finishing tied for sixth but would not advance to nationals. Overall, he had six top-5 finishes and 10 in the top 20 in 13 events played.
• Landry earned the first of his three All-American honors and was voted second team All-SEC.
PRIOR TO ARKANSAS
• McMakin spent a decade as the head coach at Lamar University, located in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas.
• In 2006, he led the Cardinals to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and won an NCAA-best seven tournaments in 13 events in 2006. Dawie Van Der Walt (4th) and Dusty Smith (10th) were among the top 10 individual finishers at the NCAA Championships.
• In his 10-year stint at Lamar, McMakin won four Southland Conference titles, made six consecutive NCAA Central Regional appearances and, in 2006, earned Lamar its first trip to the NCAA Championships in 20 years.
• In McMakin’s final six seasons at Lamar, the Cardinals had three players earn All-America honors, three golfers capture SLC individual medalist honors, 21 All-Conference performers, an SLC Newcomer of the Year, three SLC Freshman of the Year winners and the conference’s only four-time Player of the Year.
• He was named the Eaton/Golf Pride South Central Region Coach of the Year in 2006 after leading his squad to the NCAA Championships and a fifth-place showing at the NCAA Central Regional. The Cardinals captured their 20th Southland Conference championship and placed all five players on the all-conference team. McMakin was tabbed as the SLC Coach of the Year five times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006) in his 10-year run at Lamar.
• Prior to accepting the head coaching job at Lamar, McMakin spent four years as a professional golfer, competing on several mini tours as well as playing on the Nike and Hooters Tours.
PERSONAL
• Originally signing with Lamar out of high school, McMakin transferred to Oklahoma when former LU coach Greg Grost accepted the Oklahoma men’s golf job. It proved to be a wise move for McMakin as he would help the Sooners win a national championship during the 1989 season. McMakin, a co-captain of that squad, served in the same capacity the following year as Oklahoma finished fifth at the NCAA Championships.
• McMakin was also a standout golfer on the Kelly High School golf team. He was a regular in the TCIL state tournament and earned medalist honors four times. While at Kelly, McMakin played for former Lamar coach Charles Rodemacher.
• McMakin earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Oklahoma in 1991. He and his wife, Tonia, have one son, Matthew.
