Marie-Josee Desbiens enters her second year with the Oklahoma City University women’s golf program after a record-setting season leading the Stars to their fourth consecutive NAIA national title. OCU became the first school to win four consecutive NAIA women’s golf titles. Desbiens was also named NAIA coach of the year.
Last season, the Stars bested Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in the NAIA Championships by three strokes. The women’s program also won their sixth consecutive NAIA Region VI title as well as the Sooner Athletic Conference championship.
Desbiens began her head-coaching career with six consecutive tournament titles and tournament titles in seven out of eight events. The Stars took tournament titles in nine of 11 events overall. After wins in the North Texas Classic, Southern Nazarene Invitational, Oklahoma City Fall Classic, Oklahoma Intercollegiate for Women, CSU San Marcos Cougar Invitational and Mary Hardin-Baylor Invitational, the Stars took second in the Sam Houston State Classic. OCU closed the season with wins in three out of its last four tournaments.
Known as “M.J.”, in her time at OCU, Desbiens has coached three first-team all-Americans, two honorable-mention all-Americans, the NAIA Region VI champion and two NAIA scholar-athlete award winners.
Desbiens spent 10 years as assistant to Carol Ludvigson at Oklahoma. She was involved in all phases of the OU program including recruiting, fund-raising and strength and conditioning.
During her tenure with the Sooners, Desbiens (pronounced DAY-bee-IN) aided Oklahoma to the finest season in the program’s history in 2001-02, finishing sixth in the NCAA Championships and second in the Big 12 Championships. She coached five all-conference golfers, including four-time all-Big 12 selection Lisa Meldrum.
Desbiens has been a member of the LPGA Teaching Division since 1995. In 1991, she was a member of the Canadian Amateur Team which represented Canada at the Commonwealth Games and the British Amateur Open. As a player, Desbiens helped Oklahoma win the Big Eight championship in 1991 and was a four-year letter winner for the Sooners.
Desbiens comes from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. She won the Canadian Junior title in 1990 and finished second in 1989.
