ABILENE, Texas – ACU Athletics announced on Thursday morning the hiring of former ACU assistant coach Rob Bennett as the first-ever head coach for the Wildcat women's golf program. Vice President for Athletics
Zack Lassiter announced on May 31 that Abilene Christian would be introducing women's golf as the department's 17th sport, with competition set to begin in the 2023-24 academic year.
Bennett returns to Abilene after a one-year stint as the women's golf assistant at Louisville, where the team advanced to an NCAA Regional. Kendall Griffin was named an All-ACC selection at the conclusion of the season, and the team's best performance of the year came at the Illinois Invitational, where the Cardinals shot 11-under par in the final round to finish in first place.
"I am incredibly humbled to be named the first ever women's golf coach at ACU, and I'd like to thank
Zack Lassiter,
Tom Shaw and the rest of the search committee for their belief in me to lead this program," Bennett said. "I also want to thank my wife, Whitney, for her support, as she has allowed me to live out my dream as a college golf coach. We are both so thrilled to bring our family back to Abilene, and I can't wait to make more history as a Wildcat."
In his three years working with the ACU men's program, Bennett helped the Wildcats rise over 60 spots in the national rankings and set new school records for scoring average (288.86), low single-round score (19-under par), and low tournament score (44-under par). The Wildcats posted two tournament victories and eight other top-five finishes during Bennett's previous tenure in the Big Country. Five Wildcats earned All-Conference honors during Bennett's time at ACU, and nine individuals earned GCAA All-America Scholar honors.
"Throughout my career, I have tried to do three things with every program I have been a part of – show my players the love of Christ, build leaders and help them build more leaders, and win in a way that honors God and the university," Bennett said. "ACU provides the perfect atmosphere for me to live out this philosophy, and I am thankful for a place that believes winnings championships and spiritual growth are not mutually exclusive."
Prior to ACU, Bennett served as the head men's and women's coach at Seminole State College in Oklahoma for one semester in the spring of 2018. During that time, he coached two NJCAA Women's National Championship qualifiers and one NJCAA Men's National Championship qualifier. He also coached two Academic All-Americans at SSC and won the Mark Laesch Award given by the Golf Coaches Association of America to the coach and team that made the biggest improvement in stroke differential from the previous year.
Bennett spent the previous four seasons as the head men's and women's coach at St. Gregory's University in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where he led both teams to a combined four wins, five runner-up finishes, four 3rd-place finishes, and 13 other top-5 finishes. He coached one men's Ping All-Region player, one men's Sooner Athletic Conference All-Conference player, and the runner-up in the 2015-2016 SAC Women's Freshman of the Year race. Bennett helped SGU's men jump from 177th to 26th in the nation, while the women went from 134th to 48th.
A native of Stillwater, Okla., Bennett played collegiately at Southwestern Oklahoma State University where he earned both his Bachelor's Degree in psychology and his Master's Degree in community counseling.
What others are saying about Rob Bennett
Zack Lassiter | Vice President for Athletics, Abilene Christian
"We conducted a nationwide search, and it became clear that Rob was the perfect person to launch our women's golf program. He has a proven track record of success at the Division I level, and we are excited to welcome him and Whitney back to ACU."
Whitney Young | Head Women's Golf Coach, Louisville
"I could not be more excited for Coach Bennett as he takes on his new role as the head women's golf coach at Abilene Christian University. I know with his coaching experience, golf knowledge, energy and passion to help student-athletes succeed on and off the golf course, he is the perfect fit to start the women's program for ACU."
Tom Shaw | Head Men's Golf Coach, Abilene Christian
"When starting a new program, you need strong leadership and organizational skills at the helm. You must also have a coach with experience recruiting quality student-athletes and establishing winning traditions. We have chosen the person who checks these boxes, and are thrilled to announce Rob Bennett as our first head coach of ACU Women's Golf. We are so excited to have him, his wife Whitney and his son Royce return to the ACU family."
#GoWildcats
