Jayhawks Hire New Men's Golf Associate Head Coach
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s golf coach Jamie Bermel announced the hiring of Chris Wilson to his staff. Wilson will fill the assistant coaching vacancy after Zach Zaremba left the program to go into private business.
“To be a coach at Kansas is a dream job for me,” Wilson said. “The passion and support from the Jayhawk fan base is as good as it gets in college sports.”
Wilson comes to Kansas after spending the last five seasons at the U.S. Air Force Academy, three of which he served as the assistant coach for the Falcons before being promoted to associate head coach in May 2013. During his tenure at Air Force, Wilson helped make significant strides to improve the program, as he guided the 2012-13 squad to a new program record for average team score, which shattered the previous record by more than five strokes per round.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Chris to the KU golf family,” Bermel said. “I’ve watched him work for many years and he is exactly what I was looking for in a coach. He is a relentless recruiter, a teacher of the game and a role model for the players.”
A native of Shawnee, Oklahoma, Wilson was recognized in 2014 by his colleagues as one of eight semifinalists to be named to the Jan Strickland Award. This award not only acknowledges NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, or NJCAA assistant coaches that have demonstrated exceptional work with student-athletes on the course, but it recognizes those coaches who have excelled at working with student-athletes off the course as well.
Wilson began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Louisiana-Monroe, where he was also a standout golfer, earning all-conference honors his senior year. During his time at his alma mater, Wilson was involved in helping bring in one of the top-ranked recruiting classes in the country. That recruiting class would eventually earn seven all-conference awards and a 2004 Southland Conference Championship.
“He brings a wealth of experience to our program and I know he will do a great job in all areas,” Bermel added. “Chris has worn many hats as an assistant coach, associate head coach and head coach. All of these experiences will help us achieve our goal and that is to compete at the very highest level of golf.”
Before earning his bachelor’s degree from ULM, Wilson attended Dodge City Community College in 1996-97, where he also competed and earned an all-conference selection. Wilson and his wife, Heather, have a one-year-old daughter, Lucy Annete.
“I have known Jamie for a long time and have a great deal of respect for him and what he has done at each stop in his career,” Wilson said. “The opportunity to work side by side with him, while helping these guys become the best players and people they can be, is something I am honored to be a part of.”
Wilson will make his first appearance donning the Crimson and Blue when the Kansas men’s golf team travels to Palm Desert, California, to compete in the Desert Intercollegiate at Classic Club Feb. 19-21. The Jayhawks look to continue their hot start to the 2015-16 campaign, following a 2015 fall season that consisted of five top-five finishes, two team titles and an individual title.
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