Campbell tabbed to lead program
Former all-America led Andrews girls to four state tournaments
ABILENE -- Former ACU all-America golfer Mike Campbell was named the Wildcats' head golf coach Friday, replacing former head coach Vince Jarrett who resigned last month in order to accept the same job at the University of Houston.
ACU chief athletics administrator Dr. Gary McCaleb made the announcement of the hiring at Friday morning's athletics staff meeting.
"We are tremendously excited to be able to hire Mike Campbell as the new golf coach," said McCaleb, who also thanked legendary PGA golfer Byron Nelson for his continued support of the ACU golf program. "He's had tremendous success at the high school level, and we feel like he'll be able to step in for Vince and do a fine job. The thing that excites me the most, though, is that he comes from our program and is ready to continue the high level of success that we've grown accustomed to seeing our golf team achieve."
Campbell, 36, has been the head girls golf coach at Class 4A Andrews High School since 1996, and has led the Lady Mustangs to the last four state tournaments in Austin. Andrews has finished second twice (2001 and 2003) and third twice (2000 and 2002). Even before the team success began, Campbell coached a player that reached the state tournament as an individual for three straight years from 1997-99.
In addition to his golf duties, he has served as the assistant girls basketball coach since 1991, and from 1991-96 he was the assistant girls track and field coach. He was a mathematics teacher at Andrews, and in 1999-2000 he was voted the Andrews High School Teacher of the Year.
"It's tough to leave Andrews because that's my home, and it's where I've coached the last 12 years," said Campbell, whose younger brother, Chad, is currently 12th on the PGA Tour money list. "But I think everybody in Andrews knows that coaching at ACU has been my dream. Coaching at ACU has been one of my dreams since I graduated in 1991. I know how special this place is. If I could pick any place in America to coach, it would be here."
After graduating from Andrews High School in 1985, Campbell played golf at South Plains College for two years before going to ACU in 1990. He graduated cum laude from ACU in 1991 with a BSEd in mathematics education and was immediately hired by Andrews High School.
He played on some of Jarrett's best teams, playing for Wildcat teams that finished seventh and third at the NCAA Division II national tournament in 1990 and 1991, respectively. He was a member of the ACU team that set the NCAA record-low team score of 262 (26-under-par) at the 1991 Lone Star Conference tournament.
A two-time all-America player in 1990 and 1991, Campbell won the conference medalist race in 1991, firing a 13-under-par total of 275 (76-68-65-66) to lead ACU to that title. He was a second team all-LSC player in 1990, and was a first team all-District 6 and 7 player in 1991. He was also the medalist at the 1990 Abilene Intercollegiate.
While at South Plains Junior College, he was an NJCAA academic all-America player in 1987 and an all-LSC player that same year. As a player at Andrews High School he was a first team all-district player from 1982-85, and first team all-region in 1984 and 1985. He played in two Texas State Amateur Championships, finishing 16th in 1989 and 23rd in 1990.
Campbell takes over a golf program that has been of the best in NCAA Division II since Jarrett was hired prior to the 1985-86 season. Under Jarrett's direction, the Wildcats won seven Lone Star Conference championships, and he took the Wildcats to either regional or national tournaments in 16 of his 18 seasons.
Last spring, his final squad finished second at both the LSC and NCAA Division II South Central Region championships and just missed out on qualifying for the NCAA Division II national tournament, finishing the season with a No. 16 national ranking.
The Wildcats won the 1993 national title, but have also finished in the top 10 at the national tournament on eight other occasions under Jarrett's direction. The Wildcats finished third in 1991, fifth in 1995 and 1997, sixth in 1989 and 1992, seventh in 1987 and 1990 and eighth in 1996.
Jarrett led ACU to LSC championships in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1995. ACU also finished as the runner-up at the LSC tournament in 1990, 1992, 1996, 2001 and 2003.
"I'm very proud of what we were able to accomplish while I was a player here, and what's been accomplished since I left," Campbell said. "The relationships I was able to build with my teammates and Vince Jarrett mean a lot to me, and I still keep in touch with those guys. It was a tremendous experience to play here, and I'm sure it will be just as rewarding to coach here."
