Finalists Announced for 2025 NCAA Division II Dave Williams Coach of the Year Award presented by Golf Pride Grips
NORMAN, Okla. – NCAA Division II finalists for the 2025 Dave Williams Award presented by Golf Pride Grips have been announced by the GCAA. The Williams Award honors the national coach of the year in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, NJCAA Division I, and NJCAA Division II men’s golf.
The five finalists are Steve Fell of West Florida, Mark Hull of Colorado Christian, Brad Robinson of Lincoln Memorial, Derrick Thompson of Central Oklahoma, and Bryson Worley of North Georgia.
Fell led West Florida to four victories, including their third consecutive Gulf South Conference (GSC) Championship, and six other top three finishes in his 31st season in Pensacola. Ranked second via Scoreboard powered by Clippd, the Argonauts have been led on the course by a nation-high six PING All-South Region golfers, including golfers Per Ekelund, Eddie Lee, Mason Minkel, Cooper Tendick, TJ Thompson, and Fabian Wennerlof. Tendick was named 2025 NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday finalists on Thursday.
Looking to defend their national championship next week at PGA National Resort, Colorado Christian has made history all season long, compiling 10 victories in 11 tournaments with a 130-0-0 record against NCAA Division II opponents. The Cougars won the program’s first NCAA West/South Central Regional and second straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Championship and won the season-opening The Writz at Mile High by an NCAA Division II-record 57 shots. Ranked No. 1 via Scoreboard powered by Clippd, they have been led on the course by PING All-South Central Region honorees Xavier Bighaus, Sungyeop Cho, Adam Duncan, and Sangha Park. Duncan and Park were named 2025 NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday finalists on Thursday. Hull is a Dave Williams Award presented by Golf Pride Grips finalist for the second straight year.
Lincoln Memorial has collected four victories, including the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Championship by a conference-record 42 shots, and finished inside the top five 10 times this season in Robinson’s fourth season at the helm. Ranked fourth via Scoreboard powered by Clippd’s National Rankings, the Railsplitters and back-to-back SAC Coach of the Year Robinson have been led on the course by PING All-Region selections Morgan Cain, George Durkan, and Max Reynolds. Durkan earned SAC Golfer of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. Robinson is a Dave Williams Award presented by Golf Pride Grips finalist for the second straight year.
Thompson has led Central Oklahoma to seven victories in 2024-25, including their second consecutive NCAA Central/Midwest Regional Championship and first Mid-America Athletic Association (MIAA) Championship since 2017. With top-two finishes in all but one of their 11 tournaments, the Bronchos, ranked fifth via Scoreboard powered by Clippd, have been led on the course by PING All-Region golfers Bennett Baldwin, Baylor Bostick, Nick Canales, and Jordan Wilson. Thompson is a Dave Williams Award presented by Golf Pride Grips finalist for the second straight year.
Worley, the first coach in Peach Belt Conference (PBC) history to win Coach of the Year in four consecutive seasons, has led the Nighthawks to four wins, including their second straight NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championship, and five other top three finishes this season. Ranked third via Scoreboard powered by Clippd, North Georgia has been led on the course by PING All-Southeast Region honorees Colby Bennett, Ethan Day, Hughes Threlkeld, and Jack Vajda. The 2024 NCAA Division II Dave Williams Award presented by Golf Pride Grips recipient, Worley was the first coach in school’s NCAA-era history to be named national coach of the year.
All five finalists are coaching at the 2025 NCAA Division II Championships May 19-23 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
About Golf Pride Grips
For over seven decades, we’ve been the global leader in golf grip innovation and technology, from the invention of the slip-on grip to groundbreaking advancements in cord with our new Brushed Cotton Technology (BCT®) to the introduction of the hybrid category of grips. Today, Golf Pride® has laid claim to more major wins than any other grip company. More than 80% of Tour professionals choose to play our grips and not one is paid to do so. And in this age of multi-million dollar endorsement deals, that’s the strongest endorsement of all. So, whether you’re a Tour pro playing a major, a rising amateur, or an everyday golfer, you can rest assured knowing you’re playing the #1 Grip in Golf. To learn more about Golf Pride®, go to golfpride.com.