CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Arizona State women's golf head coach Missy Farr-Kaye has been named the 2016-17 Golf Pride Grips WGCA National Coach of the Year after leading the Sun Devils to a national title in May, as announced on Golf Channel's Morning Drive Tuesday morning.
Farr-Kaye, a Phoenix-area native and lifetime Sun Devil, has now been a member of three NCAA championship teams at Arizona State – first as a player (1990) under legendary head coach Linda Vollstedt, then as an assistant coach (2009), and most recently in her second year as head coach at her alma mater (2017).
The long legacy of greatness within the Sun Devil women's golf program was extended in 2017 as the team won the program's eighth NCAA team title and sixth individual NCAA title, both nation-leading figures for collegiate women's golf.
Farr-Kaye becomes the fifth WGCA National Coach of the Year from Arizona State, first since 2009, after Vollstedt won the award three times (1989, 1994, 1995 as a co-winner) and Melissa Luellen won in 2009. She also earned WGCA West Region Coach of the Year honors last week.
Arizona State won five total tournaments in 2016-17, including the NCAA Lubbock Regional, besting the second-place finisher by over 20 strokes for their first Regionals win since 2009. Senior Monica Vaughn earned individual medalist honors at both Regionals and the NCAA championship en route to an NCAA team title.
Farr-Kaye was assisted this season by ASU alum and former teammate Michelle Estill, who joined the staff prior to the spring season, and volunteer assistant coach Matt Trimble.
The award was determined by a vote of the Division I Awards Committee after reviewing the 10 highest ranked coaches in each region and their teams' respective records. The top three from each region were considered by the Committee for the WGCA National Coach of the Year.
Farr-Kaye, a Phoenix-area native and lifetime Sun Devil, has now been a member of three NCAA championship teams at Arizona State – first as a player (1990) under legendary head coach Linda Vollstedt, then as an assistant coach (2009), and most recently in her second year as head coach at her alma mater (2017).
The long legacy of greatness within the Sun Devil women's golf program was extended in 2017 as the team won the program's eighth NCAA team title and sixth individual NCAA title, both nation-leading figures for collegiate women's golf.
Farr-Kaye becomes the fifth WGCA National Coach of the Year from Arizona State, first since 2009, after Vollstedt won the award three times (1989, 1994, 1995 as a co-winner) and Melissa Luellen won in 2009. She also earned WGCA West Region Coach of the Year honors last week.
Arizona State won five total tournaments in 2016-17, including the NCAA Lubbock Regional, besting the second-place finisher by over 20 strokes for their first Regionals win since 2009. Senior Monica Vaughn earned individual medalist honors at both Regionals and the NCAA championship en route to an NCAA team title.
Farr-Kaye was assisted this season by ASU alum and former teammate Michelle Estill, who joined the staff prior to the spring season, and volunteer assistant coach Matt Trimble.
The award was determined by a vote of the Division I Awards Committee after reviewing the 10 highest ranked coaches in each region and their teams' respective records. The top three from each region were considered by the Committee for the WGCA National Coach of the Year.