UCF women’s golf head coach Emily Marron was named on May 4 to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Watch List for the 2025-26 Division I Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride.
Marron is one of 20 coaches nationwide recognized for this honor, which is considered the highest annual coaching award in women’s collegiate golf. The recipient will be announced following the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship.
Under Marron’s leadership, UCF has achieved eight top-five finishes during the 2025-26 season, including tournament wins at both the Illini Invitational and Lady Luck Invitational. The team reached as high as No. 12 in national rankings and consistently competed among leading programs throughout the season. Three student-athletes from UCF are ranked among the top 125 nationally.
The Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year award is presented annually to a head coach across NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA women’s golf. Founded in 1983, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association represents more than 750 women’s collegiate golf coaches nationwide and aims to support its members while advancing women’s collegiate golf.
Other coaches on this year’s watch list include Kim Lewellen (Wake Forest University), Dan Brooks (Duke University), Josh Brewer (Eastern Michigan University), Aimee Neff (University of North Carolina), Casey Vandamme (Kent State University), Gerrod Chadwell (Texas A&M University), Laura Ianello (University of Texas), Shauna Estes-Taylor (University of Arkansas), Christie Martens (Iowa State University), Caroline Westrup (University of Missouri), Emily Glaser (University of Florida), Melissa Luellen (Auburn University), Greg Allen (Vanderbilt University), Diana Cantu (University of Tennessee), Anne Walker (Stanford University), Justin Silverstein (University of Southern California), Derek Radley (University of Oregon), Laurie Gibbs (Pepperdine University) and Alicia Um Holmes (UCLA).
UCF Athletics is a member of the Big 12 Conference.
