THE OFFICIAL ATHLETICS SITE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA LIONS

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA GOLF HISTORY  (through 2023 Spring Season)
   
1958-2023

The golf program at the University of North Alabama dates back to the 1950's. Alex Sloan served as the Lions first golf coach from 1958-73 and led two UNA teams to the NAIA National Tournament (1962 and 1969) and won three Alabama Collegiate Conference Championships.

When the UNA program became a member of the NCAA Division II in the 1970s, the Lions continued to have individuals compete in the National Championship Tournament and became one of the most consistently successful programs in the Gulf South Conference. In nine seasons under Gary Elliott, from 1980-88, the Lions continued to flourish. Then in 1989, Billy Gamble became the Lions head coach and helped take the UNA program to the next level.

Under Gamble, UNA made eleven NCAA Regional appearances and advanced to the Division II National Tournament nine times. UNA finished tied for 13th in the nation in 1996, was 14th in 2000, fourth in 2002, tied for sixth in 2003, tied for 13th in 2004, 14th in 2006, 12th in 2007, tied for 2nd in 2008 and tied for ninth in 2009. UNA also won the first four regional golf championships in school history under Gamble in 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2009, and the school's first GSC golf title in 2009.

The UNA program has produced 14 All-Americans in Billy Pomeroy, Al Hay, Jason Vaughn, Justin Regan, Jeremy Lewis, Stuart Clark, Stephen McNair, James Porter, Brad Conner, Daniel Creel, Wes Smith, Brett Munson, Jake Greer, Conner Godsey and Forrest Knight. In addition, Clark was the 1996 GSC individual champion, Porter was GSC champion in 2005, Creel in 2007, Brett Munson in 2010 and Paul McClure in 2013. Regan won medalist honors at the 2003 Division II South Regional and Conner won it in 2005. In 2009 Greer was the South Region medalist.

Ten Lions also played in the NCAA Championship Tournament as individuals - with Lions participating in 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1995, 2005 and 2015.

Gamble retired as the Lions' golf coach in the fall of 2009 and former UNA All-American Stuart Clark took over as the team's head coach. Clark led UNA to its second straight GSC Championship in 2010 and another in 2012. He also led UNA to four straight  NCAA Regional appearances in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Another former Lion golfer, Jason Vaughn, took the reigns of the UNA program in the Fall of 2013 and led North Alabama to its first appearance in the NCAA Division II National Championships since 2009 as the Lions finished ninth nationally. The Lions returned to the Division II National Championships in 2017.

Cullen Carstens became the program's head coach in the Fall of 2017 and will help lead the Lions' transition into the NCAA Division I ranks in 2018-19 as a member of the ASUN Conference.

In the spring of 2019, the Lions recorded their first tournament win as a Division I program when UNA won its own North Alabama Spring Classic at Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club, led by tournament medalist Aaron Jackson. The Lions defeated 11 other Division I teams in the event. 

In the spring of 2020, UNA's Jackson Wedgeworth took medalist honors at the Tiger Invitational by Jason Dufner hosted by Auburn University.

Jackson and Wedgewoth both earned ASUN Conference Golfer of the Week honors in 2018-19 and Wedgeworth added two more awards in 2019-20.

Wedgeworth was named to the 2021 All-ASUN Conference Second Team. Teammate Frankie Wade has been named to the Academic All-ASUN Conference team on two occasions in 2021 and 2022. 

Carter Goodwin earned the honors of being the first Lion named to the ASUN-All Tournament team in 2022.

The Lions have won four more tournaments as a team since 2020, taking home the TVA Community Credit Union Invitational in 2021 and 2022, the Grover Page Classic in 2022 and the 2023 Gulf Coast Collegiate. 

Francois Jacobs is the most recent member of the North Alabama golf team to be selected to an ASUN All-Conference team, being named to the third team in 2023.

Alabama Collegiate Conference Team Champions
 
1962

NAIA National Tournament Team Participant
 
1969

Gulf South Conference Team Champions
 
2009, 2010, 2012

NCAA Division II Regional Tournament Team Participant

1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

NCAA Division II National Tournament Team Participant

1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2017

TEAM FINISHES IN NCAA REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS
 
1996 Tied 6th
1999 14th
2000 Tied 3rd
2001 Tied 13th
2002 Champions
2003 Champions
2004 3rd
2006 3rd
2007 Champions
2008 4th
2009 Champions
2010 15th
2011 Tied 12th
2012 7th
2013 Tied 10th
2014 Tied 6th
2015 11th
2016 14th
2017 7th

TEAM FINISHES IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
 
1996 Tied 13th
2000 14th
2002 4th
2003 T6th
2004 13th
2006 14th
2007 12th
2008 T2nd
2009 T9th
2014 9th
2017 9th