NORMAN, Okla. -- The six outstanding collegiate golf coaches receiving the 2026 Dave Williams National Coach of the Year Award presented by Golf Pride Grips have been announced by the GCAA. Bowen Sargent of Virginia (NCAA Division I), Brian Richey of Florida Southern (NCAA Division II), Keenan Hickton of Sewanee (Division III), Blake Trimble of Oklahoma City (NAIA), Vince Clark of McLennan (NJCAA Division I), and Lukas Coppedge of Murray State (OK) (NJCAA Division II) will be presented with their awards during the Hall of Fame & Awards Banquet at the GCAA National Convention December 8-10 at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas.
Golf Pride Grips Region and District Coaches of the Year have also been announced.
Sargent is Virginia's first Dave Williams Award recipient. Under Sargent and 2026 Division I Jan Strickland Outstanding Assistant Coach Award presented by TaylorMade Golf Company recipient Dustin Groves, the Cavaliers won a program-record seven tournaments with three runner-ups in 2025-26. Ranked No. 1 from October 22 to March 4 via Scoreboard Powered by Clippd, the Cavaliers were co-champions of the NCAA Winston-Salem Regional for the program's first NCAA Regional title and program-record fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship. Virginia won their second consecutive ACC Championship, and their previous five wins came by a combined 47 strokes. The Cavaliers were led on the course by four PING All-East Region honorees, including Ben James, the fifth NCAA Division I golfer since the GCAA began naming All-Americans in 1958 to be a four-time First Team All-American (2023-26). Sargent will serve as a Co-Assistant Coach for Team USA at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup, held July 3-5 at Tralee Golf Links in West Barrow, Ireland.
Richey is the third Florida Southern head coach to receive the Dave Williams Award, joining GCAA Hall of Famers Charley Matlock (1990, 1991, 1995) and Doug Gordin (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000). Hired as the full-time head coach on June 5, 2025 after being the interim head coach since February, back-to-back Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Coach of the Year Richey guided the Mocs to 12 top-five finishes in 13 tournaments this season, including nine inside the top two. Included in their six victories, Florida Southern won the program's 14th NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship on May 22 and their second consecutive SSC Championship on April 21. Also winners of the Shark Invitational, Saint Leo Invitational, Citrus Intercollegiate, and the season-opening Hurricane Invitational, the Mocs were led on the course by four PING All-South Region golfers, including NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday recipient and PING First Team All-American Max Barile.
Hickton is Sewanee's first Dave Williams Award recipient, guiding the Tigers to eight top-five finishes in 2025-26, including in all seven of their spring tournaments, and two victories. Sewanee finished fourth at the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship on May 15 for its highest finish at any national championship in program history. In his second season as Head Men's Golf Coach, Hickton's Tigers won the season-opening Gate City Invitational by one stroke on September 16 and their second consecutive Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Championship by 13 strokes on April 26. Sewanee had two conference championships since 1995 prior to Hickton's arrival. The Tigers were led on the course by four PING All-Region IV performers for back-to-back SAA Coach of the Year Hickton. For a program that had five PING All-Region honors from 2010 to 2024, Sewanee has earned eight PING All-Region IV honors in Hickton's two years at the helm.
Trimble is the second Oklahoma City head coach to receive the Dave Williams Award, joining GCAA Hall of Famer Kyle Blaser. In his third year as Head Men's Golf Coach, Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) Coach of the Year Trimble's Stars compiled seven victories and 11 top-five finishes in the program's final season before being discontinued by the university. Oklahoma City won six of their last nine tournaments, including the program's 12thNAIA Men's Golf Championship by two strokes on May 15. The 12 NAIA Red Banners are the most of any Oklahoma City University athletic program and the most in NAIA Men's Golf history. The Stars also won the SAC Championship by 21 strokes on April 28 and the Kyle Blaser Invitational by six strokes on March 17, with their remaining four victories coming by a combined 20 strokes. Oklahoma City was led on the course by five PING All-West Region golfers, including PING First Team All-Americans Carter Ray and Christian Yanovitch, the 2026 NAIA Individual Champion.
Clark is now a two-time Dave Williams Award recipient at McLennan (2009). In his 19th year at the helm, the 2016 GCAA Hall of Fame inductee guided the Highlanders to top-four finishes in all 10 of their 2025-26 tournaments with six victories. They won three of their last four tournaments, including the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship by one stroke on May 15 for the program's fifth national championship. McLennan also won the NJCAA South Central District Championship by four strokes on April 28, the NJCAA Division I National Preview by six strokes on October 31, and their remaining three victories came by a combined nine strokes. The Highlanders were led on the course by PING All-South District honorees Luke Beckman, NJCAA Division I Individual Champion Abe Bignell, and Robert Gonzalez. Bignell was named PING First Team All-America on May 15 and received the NJCAA Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday on June 7.
Coppedge is Murray State (OK)'s first Dave Williams Award recipient. The Aggies carded eight top-five finishes, including in seven of their last nine tournaments, and won six times in Coppedge's fourth season at the helm. Murray State (OK) won their final four tournaments of 2025-26, highlighted by the program's first NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship by seven strokes on May 22. They also won the NJCAA South Central District/Region 16 Championship by 22 strokes on April 29, the Seminole Invitational by 17 strokes on March 30, and the NJCAA Region 2 Championship by 36 strokes on March 24 during that span. Co-champions of the Charles Cooper Classic on October 28 and winners of the Aggie Invitational by 21 strokes on September 30, the Aggies were led on the course by PING All-Central Region performers Luca Bordoni, Shashank Koirala, Joss Lopez, Connor Tallentire, and Keegan Westlake. Koirala, Lopez, Tallentire, and Westlake were named PING All-Americans, and the program's first NJCAA Division II Individual Champion Tallentire earned their first NJCAA Division II Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award presented by StrackaLine.
2026 Dave Williams National Coach of the Year Award presented by Golf Pride Grips
NCAA Division I - Bowen Sargent, Virginia
NCAA Division II - Brian Richey, Florida Southern
NCAA Division III - Keenan Hickton, Sewanee
NAIA - Blake Trimble, Oklahoma City
NJCAA Division I - Vince Clark, McLennan
NJCAA Division II - Lukas Coppedge, Murray State (OK)
2026 NCAA Division I Golf Pride Grips Region Coaches of the Year
Northeast - Rob Shutte, Rutgers
East - Bowen Sargent, Virginia
Southeast - Nick Clinard, Auburn
Midwest - Ryan Blagg, Louisville
Central - Brad McMakin, Arkansas
West - Jim Anderson, Arizona
2026 NCAA Division II Golf Pride Grips Region Coaches of the Year
Atlantic - Scott Stano, Gannon
East - David Mattana, Adelphi
Midwest - Troy Halterman, UMSL
Central - Jeff Straight, Winona State
South - Brian Richey, Florida Southern
Southeast - J.D. Lamm, Wingate
South Central - Axel Ochoa, West Texas A&M
West - Luke Bennett, Western Washington
2026 NCAA Division III Golf Pride Grips Region Coaches of the Year
Region I - Jeff Page, Babson
Region II - Dan Wesley, Rochester
Region III - Lucas Artigliere, Drew
Region IV - Dave Schreyer, Huntingdon
Region V - Grant Wallace, Kenyon
Region VI - Justin Wyeth, Aurora
Region VII - Mitchell Fedorka, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2026 NAIA Golf Pride Grips Region Coaches of the Year
Midwest - Chris Butler, Lindsey Wilson
Central - Dustin Galyon, Friends
South - Ben Rickett, Dalton State
West - Blake Trimble, Oklahoma City
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2026 NJCAA Division I Golf Pride Grips District Coaches of the Year
Southeast - Daniel Allen, Central Alabama
Central - Michael Wetrich, Indian Hills
South - Vince Clark, McLennan
West - Conrado Cabezas, Eastern Arizona
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2026 NJCAA Division II Golf Pride Grips Region Coaches of the Year
South - Lance Strickland, Meridian
Central - Lukas Coppedge, Murray State (OK)
North - Darrin York, Heartland
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