GCAA Inducts Five into Its 2015 Hall of Fame Class


The Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) will induct five coaches into the 2014 Hall of Fame class. The group includes Steve Condon, Bill Gardner, Richard Poe, Whitey Skoog and O.D. Vincent. Additionally, Tim Huet will be honored for his contributions to college golf. The honorees will be feted at a banquet December 8 in Las Vegas.

Condon coached Jefferson Davis State Community College in Brewton, Ala., from 1980-82 and Huntingdon College in Montgomery from 1982-89. At Huntingdon, his team won four NAIA national championships and finished second, third and ninth the other three championships. His teams won seven regional/district titles and seven Southern Sates Athletic Conference Championships. Condon was named NAIA national coach of the year four times and regional and conference coach of the year all seven seasons. He coached 27 All-America scholars, 23 Academic All-Americans and four NAIA medalists.

Gardner is the first golf coach at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn., where he also coached baseball, basketball and golf. He coached the Senators to a national runner-up finish in 2013 and won the NJCAA D-2 National Championship in 2014, earning the Dave Williams Award (coach of the year) both seasons. His team also claimed the Farmers Insurance Academic National Championship for NJCAA D-2 in 2014.

Poe, the Missouri golf coach from 1977-98, is a two-time Big Eight Coach of the Year and won the league title in 1984. A PGA of America Class A Professional since 1972, his teams reached the NCAA regionals or finals in 15 of the last 16 years he coached.

Skoog retired as Gustavus Adolphus (St. Peter, Minn.) men's coach after 22 seasons in January of 1995. He was a professor in the physical education department for 35 years and the mens' basketball coach for 24 seasons at Gustavus. Under his direction, the Gusties won 17 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships, including 13 straight from 1982-94. His teams made 12 appearances in the NCAA Division III Championships, including 11 consecutive showings. Skoog coached 16 conference champions, a national champion and a Ben Hogan award winner. He was a nine-time MIAC Coach of the Year and seven-time District 5 Coach of the Year.

Between 1995-08, Vincent was the head coach at Washington, UCLA and Duke. His teams qualified for the NCAA Championship in all 12 season he coached, advancing to the finals nine times, including five top-10 finishes. Vincent served as the International Team coach for the 2004 USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championships and the 2006 USA China Friendship Cup. He remains the only golfer in Pac-12 history to win medalist honors as a player and later earn the league's coach of the year award. Currently, he is in his second year as executive director of the PGA Tour's Northern Trust Open.

Huet created TaylorMade's college program in 1988 and spearheaded the company's efforts in collegiate golf. Under his direction, TaylorMade established and sponsored several college tournaments, underwriting the entire event, and provided non-title support to many others. He formed TaylorMade's College Coaches Advisory Board. While with Ashworth, Huet created the company's college program and pioneered the offering of the "basics" line, which became a staple for the outfitting of college golf teams. In the spring of 2003, Huet, in conjunction with the GCAA, created the Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year Award, which has been sponsored by TaylorMade-adidas Golf since its inception.

The above report is courtesy of the GCAA. For more information, visit http://collegiategolf.com.