Michael Beard of Pepperdine was named winner of the Dave Williams Division I National Coach of the Year award by the Golf Coaches Association of America and Golf Pride Grips.
Beard’s Waves equaled a program record by winning three times during the season that was cut short by the Coronavirus pandemic, and the Waves were ranked No. 1 in the Bushnell/Golfweek coaches poll and by Golfstat when the season ended in March.
It is the first time Pepperdine, which didn’t finish outside the top five in any of its eight tournaments this season, finished the season ranked No. 1 in any national poll.
The award came in Beard’s eighth season as the Waves’ head coach after he was named West Coast Conference Coach of the Year four times, leading Pepperdine to 10 tournament victories during his tenure.
The Waves were led this season by Sahith Theegala, a senior from Chino Hills, won finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation and was selected winner of the Fred Haskins Award and also is a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award.
Theegala and William Mouw, a freshman from Chino, both were named first team All-American.
Winners of National Coach of the Year Award in others division include Darcy Donaldson of Georgia Southwestern (Division II); Jim Ott of Illinois Wesleyan (Division III); Brandon Miller of Keiser (NAIA); Walt Williams of Midland College (NJCAA Division I), and Darin Pint of Kirkwood (NJCAA Division II).
