Wake Forest’s Lewellen named WGCA National Coach of the Year

Wake Forest’s Kim Lewellen was named the 2019-20 Golf Pride Grips WGCA National Coach of the Year for Division I women’s golf. The Demon Deacons finished the season with four team titles and three individual crowns in seven starts. “This honor is …

Wake Forest’s Kim Lewellen was named the 2019-20 Golf Pride Grips WGCA National Coach of the Year for Division I women’s golf. The Demon Deacons finished the season with four team titles and three individual crowns in seven starts.

“This honor is special for many reasons but most importantly because it was awarded by my colleagues!” said Lewellen, who wrapped up her second year with the program. “This award reflects those brilliant individuals that surround me at Wake: our administration, my associate head coach Ryan Potter, all our support staff, and most importantly those young ladies that have put their trust in us and show up to work hard each and every day.”

Wake Forest’s triumphs included a pair of impressive blowouts, winning the fall’s ANNIKA Intercollegiate by 14 strokes and what turned into the final tournament of the spring, the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, by 26 strokes.

Last year, Lewellen led Wake Forest to the ACC team title and individual titles and a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship.

In addition, Darby Sligh was named Golf Pride Grips WGCA Assistant Coach of the Year for Division I. Sligh became N.C. State’s assistant coach in June of 2018 after spending 11 season as head women’s golf coach at Illinois State.

N.C. State recorded four top-10 team finishes and five top-20 individual finishes. After head coach Page Marsh had to leave the final round of the Golfweek Conference Challenge in September of 2019 due to the sudden death of her husband, George Tarantini, Sligh took over head coaching duties for that day and the remainder of the fall season.