June 14, 2011
WACO, Texas - Jay Goble, who has spent the past three seasons as the assistant coach at Southeastern Conference power Florida and previously served as an instructor at the prestigious IMG David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Fla., has been selected as Baylor's head women's golf coach following a nationwide search, Director of Athletics Ian McCaw announced Tuesday.
"We are very excited about Jay Goble agreeing to lead our women's golf program," McCaw said. "Jay has a tremendous pedigree as a coach and recruiter, and received glowing endorsements from throughout the golf community."
Goble, who will begin his new duties at Baylor on July 1, helped the Gators to 10th-place (tie) finish at the 2011 NCAA Women's Golf Championships last month in College Station, Texas. It marked the program's 18th top 10 national finish all-time, its highest since a ninth-place showing in 2008, and allowed the tradition-rich program a return to the national spotlight after missing the NCAA field the previous two seasons. Florida finished among the top 10 at nine of 12 tournaments it competed in during the 2010-11 season, including four top-10 finishes and a victory in its own 17-team SunTrust Gator Women's Golf Invitational.
"I am very thankful to Mr. McCaw for giving me this tremendous opportunity, and look forward to taking the reins of the Baylor women's golf program and building upon the foundation that is in place. Our goal is to build a team that will contend for Big 12 and national championships, and I believe that with Baylor's resources and support, both academically and athletically, coupled with that of the community, we can recruit top national and international student-athletes to achieve that goal."
The 2009-10 UF women's golf team claimed five top-five finishes and only finished outside of the top 10 in two of its 12 tournaments, thanks in part to Goble's coaching. The Gators claimed the team title at the Central District Invitational, marking their first tournament win in over a year, and posted a team stroke average of 75.7.
Goble's tenure at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy proved to be a valuable asset to the Florida program in recruiting, as five members of the Gators' 2010-11 roster attended the Academy. He mentored All-American and All-SEC selection Jessica Yadloczky and All-SEC freshman team member Evan Jensen.
In addition to his UF coaching duties, Goble served as the Junior Golf Academy Director for the Gators' program. In this role, he helped make the junior golf academies among the nation's finest.
Goble, who worked at Leadbetter from 2004 until joining the UF staff on July 1, 2008, has also served as Golf Professional at The Club at Olde Cypress in Naples, Fla., and The Preserve Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
A four-year scholarship player at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 1996 to 2000, Goble played on numerous professional tours throughout the Southeast United States as well as U.S. Open qualifiers. In 2003, Goble claimed a 72-stroke scoring average in the Southwest Florida chapter of the PGA.
The Charlotte, N.C., native is married to the former Jamie Lowe, and the couple has an infant son, Gannon.
Goble replaces Sylvia Ferdon, who served as Baylor's women's golf coach for 17 years from 1994-95 until her retirement at the conclusion of the 2010-11 campaign.
