SUGAR GROVE, Ill. - - Wilmington University golf head coach Harry Jennings has been named the 2015 Golf Grips NCAA Division II East Region Coach of the Year by the Golf Coaches Association of America earlier this week.
It is the second time in his career Jennings has been named the East Region Coach of the Year after first earning the award following the 2013 season. He is still the only Wilmington University coach to earn an East Region Coach of the Year award.
Through 10 regular season tournaments starting in the fall, Jennings led the Wildcats to a pair of tournament victories, a second place finish, and a fourth place finish at the Dennis Rose Invitational hosted by Hawaii Hilo to end the fall. The Wildcats captured the Goldey-Beacom Spring Invite as well as the Spring Griffin Invitational, and placed second in each the Fall Griffin Invitational and Dr. Edwin B Cottrell Invite.
The Wildcats caught fire in the postseason, winning its fifth straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament, becoming the first team ever to score sub-300 rounds in the two round tournament. Jennings had two individuals tie after 36-holes, forcing them to play against each other in a playoff hole for medalist honors.
The Wildcats moved onto the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Super Regional Tournament in Nashport, Ohio and shot a 292 in the second round to carry them to victory. Jennings had the Wildcats in front from the second round on, beating the field by five strokes to capture the team’s second ever Regional Championship.
The Regional Championship secured a spot in the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the fourth time in the past five years for the Wildcats, played in Conover, N.C. The team shot a team best 295 at the National Tournament in the second round, finishing in 16th overall after the three-day stroke play event.
Jennings had three players named Division II PING All-East Region as well as five student-athletes named All-CACC. Jennings coached the 2015 CACC Player of the Year (Andreas Lunding) and the 2015 CACC Rookie of the Year (Joey Russo), leading to be voted as the 2015 BSN Sports/CACC Coach of the Year.
Nova Southeastern’s head coach Ryan Jamison was named the 2015 Dave Williams NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride Grips after leading the Sharks to the both the NCAA South/Southeast Super Regional and NCAA National Championships.
AGATE
2015 Golf Grips NCAA Division II Region Coaches of the Year
East – Harry Jennings, Wilmington
Atlantic – Frederick Joseph, Indiana (Pa.)
Southeast – Mike Carlisle, USC Aiken
South – Ryan Jamison, Nova Southeastern
Midwest – Troy Halterman, Missouri-St. Louis
Central – Tim Poe, Central Missouri
South Central – Jerry Hrnciar, Cameron
West – John Buchanan, Simon Fraser
Dave Williams NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year:
Ryan Jamison, Nova Southeastern