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JR

Convention

howellwebsite

Coach Howell is his 13th season with the Titans. In previous seasons Howell has chalked up 35 tournament wins and 16 All-Americans with two players, Jacob Davis (2004) and Billy Anderson (2011) winning NJCAA individual national titles. He was District Coach of the Year 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2013. The Titans have reached the NJCAA National Tournament in all 13 of Howell's seasons finishing as high as third place twice. His 2006/2007 team was the Florida Community College Activities Association Male Academic team of the year for the state of Florida. Howell played in the PGA European Tour from 1988-1990.

As a Titan, Coach Howell has achieved the following:

16 NJCAA All-Americans
Two NJCAA National Champions as individuals, Jacob Davis – 2004, Billy Anderson – 2011
FCCAA Men's Academic Team of the Year – 2006 /2007 school year
NJCAA District 4 Championship – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015
NJCAA District 4 Coach of the Year – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013
35 tournament wins
Has had 60 former players graduate and transfer to four year universities
Current Vice President for NJCAA Golf Coaches Association

v1

This session will cover new video technology in the market. A discussion on the new camera technology available and the technology built into tablets and mobile devices. Video examples will be shown so participants can visually see the differences between the various cameras. A demonstration on using tablets
and mobile devices will be given. Best practices for lesson delivery will be discussed.

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Coach Owen is in his 33rd year at Oglethorpe University. This season marks Owen's 22nd year coaching the men's golf team and 10th year with the women's program. Owen, a 1981 graduate of Berry College, arrived on campus in the summer of 1981 as a graduate assistant basketball coach and intramural director. At Berry, Owen was a three-year starting guard and was named basketball team MVP his senior season. He was named Most Outstanding Senior Athlete at Berry College later that spring. At Oglethorpe, he served as an assistant basketball coach from 1981-97 before assuming the head coaching responsibilities from 1998-2003. During his tenure, Oglethorpe joined NCAA Division III and then the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) and expanded the sports programs offered at Oglethorpe from six to 16. After winning 10 SCAC golf titles, Oglethorpe opened a new chapter in 2012-13 with its first Southern Athletic Association (SAA) title in the conference's inaugural season.

In December of 2013 at the GCAA convention in Las Vegas, Owen was inducted into the prestigious Golf Coaches' Hall of Fame, joining an elite group of 110 coaches from around the college golf world. Owen joined Georgia Tech's Bruce Heppler and Georgia's Chris Haack as recent inductees. In April of 2001, Owen was inducted into the Oglethorpe Athletics Hall of Fame after 20 years of loyal service to the university. He now serves on the Hall of Fame committee.

In 1993, Owen took two individual male golfers to the SCAC Conference Golf Championship in Jackson, Miss. Those two golfers began the program that has developed in the last 20 years into one of the most respected in the nation. Since 2000, a span of 15 consecutive years, the Stormy Petrel men have been ranked inside the Top 10 in the nation. They have also finished in the Top 10 at the NCAA Championships 12 years during that span. Owen has coached 54 all-conference performers including two in 2014.

Owen and Oglethorpe have won 11 conference championships in the past 17 years, including four in a row from 2001-04. He was named conference coach of the year in 14 of the last 17 seasons, including the 2013-14 campaign. Owen was honored as the South Region Coach of the Year last year for the fourth time in his career and the second consecutive year, and was honored with the Dave Williams NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year award in 2012.

In 2014, Oglethorpe came within just a few strokes of winning their third national championship in six years, but came away with the program's first national runner-up finish and fifth Top 5 finish in program history.

In 2013, Oglethorpe men's golf recorded the greatest regular season in school history, shattering the school record of three wins in a single season by winning six times in 10 starts. The Stormy Petrels placed four players on the 2013 All-South region team, including senior Eric Quinn, juniors Anthony Amodeo and Hayden Jones, and sophomore Anthony Maccaglia. The squad qualified for its 14th trip to the NCAA Division III Championship.

In May of 2012, the Stormy Petrels won their second NCAA national championship in decisive fashion with a 20-stroke victory at The Mission Inn Resort near Orlando. Freshman Anthony Maccaglia won both the Arnold Palmer National Medalist award and the Phil Mickelson National Freshman of the Year award at the championship.

In 2009, Owen guided the Stormy Petrels to the school's first-ever NCAA championship in any sport when the team dramatically rallied to claim the title at the PGA Villages in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

He has coached 11 conference players of the year including Tolliver Williams (1996, 1998), Robert Fink (2001), Chris Summers (2002), Trent Erb (2003, 2004), Taylor Urbanski (2008), Scott Pugh (2009), Eric Quinn (2012) and Anthony Maccaglia (2014).

Under Owen's watch, the Stormy Petrels have had five two-time Academic All-America honorees and 14 total. The list of two-time honorees includes Robert Fink, Corey Garner, Trent Erb, Taylor Urbanski and Matt Rebitch. Anthony Maccaglia joined the program's illustrious list of Academic All-America honoreees in 2014 when he was named both the GCAA All-America Scholar and to CoSIDA's Capital One Academic All-America Second Team. He becomes the first golfer in Oglethorpe history to be named to a CoSIDA Academic All-America team. Oglethorpe also added Anthony Maccaglia, Dan Simonsen and Chase Feagin to a list that now totals 87 conference academic honor roll honorees since 1993-94.

Sophomore Maccaglia was named First Team All-America for the third consecutive year in 2014. Senior Hayden Jones garnered Second Team All-America honors for his third consecutive All-America designation. In addition, sophomore David Kleckner received All-America honorable mention accolades, marking his first All-America honors. These three become the 21st, 22nd and 23rd NCAA Division III All-Americans since the 1998 season.

In the fall of 2003, Owen retired from his basketball coaching duties and officially began the women's golf program. In 2008, Cindy Vaios joined the women's program as head coach. Vaios, an outstanding teacher and instructor, has raised the team's level of play in each of her years with the squad.

In 1998, after several years of posting only individual scores, the Oglethorpe women's program posted a fifth-place finish as a team at the SCAC Championship in Danville, Ky.

From 1998-2001, Kristi Wright twice earned Second Team All-SCAC conference honors. She finished eighth at the SCAC Championship in 1999 and ninth in 2001 to give the program its first individual golf honors.

From 2005-08, Julia Gates began the ascent of the women's program in earnest. During her four years on campus, she led the team to a program-best second-place finish at the 2006 SCAC Championship and a third-place finish in 2007. During he four outstanding years at Oglethorpe, Gates earned one First Team and three Second Team All-SCAC honors, as well as qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championship as an individual twice. Her first appearance at the NCAA Championship was the first ever by a Stormy Petrel women's golfer. She finished tied for 18th at the 2007 tournament at the Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., a tournament that was, coincidentally, hosted by Oglethorpe. She earned First Team All-America honors that year, the first OU woman golfer to earn All-America honors of any type. She did it again in 2008, finishing 13th at the NCAA Championship in Waverly, Iowa, again taking home All-America honors.

The Katie Dale era ran from 2007-10, and included a 2008 trip to the NCAA Championship as an individual. In betwee, she earned four straight Academic All-America awards, as well as four straight SCAC Academic Honor Roll designations. She was named First Team All-SCAC in two of her four years of competition, and took Second Team honors the other two. She finished tied for 64th at the NCAA Championship in Waverly, the only appearance of her career.

In 2012, the SCAC chapter closed and the new Southern Athletic Association was formed. In the school's first year as part of the SAA, sophomore Jordan Krahn set a new 54-hole school record at the 2013 SAA Championship in Birmingham, Ala., earning Second Team All-SAA honors in the process. She became the 17th women's golfer in OU history to earn all-conference honors. The team finished fifth at the event, setting a 54-hole team record, as well.

Chelsea Gatterdam earned her third consecutive Academic All-America award in 2012-13. She looks to join Dale as the school's only four-time Academic All-America in any sport.

inksterwebsite

Juli Inkster, one of the games most accomplished players, will hold a question and answer session at the GCAA and WGCA national conventions held Dec. 7-9 in Las Vegas. 

"Juli Inkster is one of the most extraordinary golfers to ever play the game,” stated WGCA President Amy Bond. "She has had a very successful career that spans decades and she continues to play great golf to this day. Her success as a player is only part of the story, especially after her recent stint as the 2015 Solheim Cup Captain for the United States. She coached the team to a victory and the largest comeback in Solheim Cup history. We are honored to have Juli speak at our convention and look forward to gaining insight into her illustrious career."

“Juli Inkster is one of the all-time greats in the game of golf and we are honored to have her join us for our national convention,” said GCAA President Conrad Ray. “She has been a leader both on and off the course as evidenced by her record, accomplishments, and, most recently, her victory as U.S. Solheim Cup Captain. Her insights into game development, team work, the evolution of the game, and winning at all levels will be amazing to learn about.”

Inkster ranks second among all active players on the LPGA Tour with 31 career victories, including seven major championships. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Inkster has more wins than any other American in the Solheim Cup and holds the matches’ record for most singles points won. She further solidified her Solheim Cup legacy when as captain she rallied the United States to a 14.5-13.5 victory at Golf Club St. Leon-Rot in 2015. It was the Americans first victory in the matches since 2009.

Also a standout player at San Jose State, Inkster earned All-America honors in 1979, ’81, and ’82 and is a member of the San Jose State Sports Hall of Fame and WGCA Hall of Fame. She won three consecutive U.S Women’s Amateurs from 1980-82, the first woman to do so since 1934. She was also a member of the victorious 1982 Curtis Cup team.

smallwebsite

Head coach Mike Small has brought national recognition to the Illinois golf program in his decade-plus as head coach. The 2015 Dave Williams National Coach of the Year guided the Illini to five straight Big Ten championships from 2009-13 and has coached two NCAA individual champions in the past six years in Scott Langley (2010) and Thomas Pieters (2012). He also has coached four straight Big Ten Players of the Year in Luke Guthrie - a two-time individual Big Ten champion who held the program’s career stroke average record at the end of his career - Thomas Pieters - a two-time All-American who helped the Illini to an NCAA runner-up finish in 2013 - Brian Campbell, who broke Guthrie’s season stroke average an earned All-America honors in 2014 - and Thomas Detry who owns Illinois career stroke average record and has earned All-America honors twice in his career. That means Small has coached six Big Ten Players of the Year in addition to Scott Langley (2010) and James Lepp (2003).

The 2015 season was one of the strongest for the Illini to date as Small’s program continues to show consistency year after year. Illinois advanced to the semifinal round of match play at the 2015 NCAA Championships after earning both Big Ten Championship and NCAA Regional Championship titles. The Illini took home a school-record eight team tournament titles on the season, and saw each of its five starters earn medalist honors at least once throughout the year. Freshman Nick Hardy earned co-Medalist honors at the Big Ten Championships, and senior Brian Campbell earned his second-straight NCAA Regional title. Campell joined juniors Thomas Detry and Charlie Danielson as All-Americans.

Small led the Illini to another strong campaign in 2014, as the Orange and Blue qualified for the NCAA match-play finals for the third time in four years before falling to top-seeded Stanford in the day’s final pairing. Illinois extended its streak of reaching the NCAA Championships to seven straight seasons, equaling the fourth-longest string of appearances, and notched three more All-Americans as Campbell, Charlie Danielson and Thomas Detry earned recognition. By tying for fifth place at the NCAA Championships, the Illini recorded their ninth top-25 finish in Small’s 14 years at the helm.

The Fighting Illini narrowly missed a magical finished in 2013, making a memorable run to an NCAA runner-up finish. Illinois qualified for the NCAA Championships for the sixth-straight year and reached the match-play finals for the second time in three years. After reaching the match-play portion, the Orange and Blue knocked off defending NCAA champion Texas in the quarterfinals and upset No. 1 California - dubbed by many as the greatest college golf team ever - in the semifinals when Thomas Pieters beat 2013 NCAA medalist Max Homa in 20 holes. But the Illini’s magic ran out against Alabama, with the Crimson Tide taking a 4-1 victory in the championship match.

In addition to the runner-up finish, Illinois captured its fifth-straight Big Ten championship with a nine-stroke victory over Minnesota and won the first NCAA Regional championship in program history with a three-stroke victory over host Arkansas at the Fayetteville Regional. In all, the Illini won six tournaments in 2012-13, second-most in school history.

Pieters and freshman Charlie Danielson earned honorable mention PING All-America honors, while Pieters was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Thomas Detry earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Pieters turned pro following the season and played a number of events on the European Tour and European Challenge Tour throughout the summer.

In 2012, Small guided his club to the NCAA Championships and in 2011, the Illini completed their best NCAA finish since 1941, finishing third in stroke play to reach the NCAA match play quarterfinals before tying for fifth overall.

Small has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year a conference-record seven times in his career (2015, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2002) after taking home the top honor for the fifth year in a row in 2013. He also has been named Midwest Regional Coach of the Year seven times in his career (2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2003), including four of the past five seasons. Under his direction, Illinois athletes have won 18 All-America honors and 34 All-Big Ten accolades.

Small’s players also have had individual success as well. Luke Guthrie and Scott Langley both retained their PGA Tour cards for 2013-14 after successful rookie campaigns on Tour. Along with Steve Stricker, D.A. Points and Joe Affrunti, Illinois has five alumni on the PGA Tour. Recent graduates Chris DeForest (2011), Langley (2010, ‘12 and ‘13) and Brian Campbell (2015) also have qualified for the U.S. Open, as did current Illini Nick Hardy in 2015.

Langley has been Illinois’ most visible player since Steve Stricker. His run to low amateur finisher at the 2010 U.S. Open came two weeks after winning the NCAA championship. Langley also won the clinching match at the Palmer Cup, reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Amateur and was one of three players on the United States team at the World Amateur Team Championships in Argentina.

Illinois’ most recent NCAA champion, Thomas Pieters, also helped Europe clinch the 2012 Palmer Cup by halving both of his singles matches in the event, while current Illini Thomas Detry went 3-1 in helping Europe to a 2014 Palmer Cup win. And two more of Small’s players, Zach Barlow (2008) and Luke Guthrie (2009), won Illinois State Amateur titles while playing at Illinois.

Pieters continued his success on the European Tour, winning back-to-back tournaments in 2015. His Czech Masters title marks his first victory on the Tour. 

Small’s players also have had academic success and captured Big Ten Medal of Honor awards with Scott Langley in 2011 and Luke Guthrie in 2012. Small provides the Illini with the unique combination of a respected teacher/coach and a current playing professional wrapped up in one man that has lifted Illinois into national contender.

Small has the distinction of playing on a Big Ten championship team and coaching six. As a former full-time professional, he can share with aspiring tour players what it takes to play at the next level. As someone who still competes and succeeds at a handful of high-profile events each year, he has had a chance to rub elbows with the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Year-by-Year Highlights

The Illini won a school-record eight tournament titles during the 2014-15 season, and each of the Illini starters took home an individual medal. Illinois earned the No. 1 seed at the 2015 NCAA Championships heading into match play, after winning both the Big Ten Championship and the 2015 NCAA Noblesville Regional titles. The Illini advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA Championships, and saw Brian Campbell, Charlie Danielson and Thomas Detry earn All-America honors once again. The Illini swept the Big Ten yearly honors as freshman Nick Hardy also earned co-Medalist honors at the Championships. 

Illinois tied for fifth at the 2014 NCAA Championships, reaching the match-play finals for the second-straight season and third time in the last four campaigns in 2014. The Illini won their second-straight NCAA Regional title and four total tournaments. Brian Campbell was a second-team All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year and broke the school single-season scoring record. Charlie Danielson and Thomas Detry both were honorable mention All-Americans.

In 2012-13, the Illini stunned the world of college golf, finishing as the NCAA runner-up after winning their first NCAA Regional title and fifth-straight Big Ten championship. Thomas Pieters was an honorable mention All-American, Big Ten individual champion and Player of the Year, and Charlie Danielson was an honorable mention All-American.

In 2011-12, Illinois continued its winning tradition, adding another NCAA and Big Ten individual champion to the record books along with a fourth-consecutive Big Ten team title and fifth-straight trip to the NCAA Championships.

In 2010-11, the Illini completed their best NCAA finish since 1941, reaching the NCAA match play quaterfinals and tying for fifth overall. Over the past four years, Illinois has consistently been ranked in the top 10 in the country, finishing seventh in the 2011 Golfweek computer rankings.

In 2009-10, Scott Langley won the NCAA title while the Illini advanced to the NCAA for the third straight year. The Illini ended the season ranked in the top 10 after its second straight Big Ten crown.

In 2008-09, Illinois won the Big Ten championship, advanced to the NCAA finals and claimed titles in seven tournaments overall, including the prestigious Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational.

During the 2007-08 season, Illinois recorded the lowest individual (63, Chris DeForest) and team (272) round in school history. The Illini advanced to the NCAA Championships, finishing 17th. Scott Langley was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

In 2006-07, senior Kyle Hosick placed 10th at the Big Ten Championships and was named a Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar.

Small directed a young Illinois team to a solid year in 2005-06. The Illini recorded four top-five finishes as six different players in the lineup combined for a total of 11 individual top-10 finishes. Patrick Nagle earned All-Region and All-Big Ten honors while Mark Ogren also earned all-conference accolades.

He led his squad to four top-three finishes in 2004-05, including runner-up honors at the Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational, a tournament that featured nine Big Ten teams.

During the 2003-04 season, Illinois finished runner-up at the Big Ten Championships for the third-straight year and made its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Central Regional.

In 2002-03, the Illini recorded the lowest 72-hole team score in school history, finishing runner-up at the Big Ten Championships for the second year in a row. Illinois went on to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Central Regional, marking the UI's best performance ever at regionals. Small was recognized for Illinois' stellar season by being named the Eaton Golf Pride Midwest Region Coach of the Year.

In 2001-02, he directed the resurgence of the Illinois program and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. The Illini finished as Big Ten runner-up and placed fourth at NCAA Regionals. Illinois qualified for the NCAA Championships, finishing 18th.

Playing Career Highlights

When Mike Small returned to Champaign, Ill., in June of 2000 to take over as head coach, it came following a decade of golfing professionally, including five years spent on the PGA Tour and what is now the Web.com Tour. Small continues to compete on a limited basis in PGA tour events. Although not playing full time, he does so with some impressive results. When he competes, he shows off his Illinois colors and attracts many proud alumni in the gallery.

Small was inducted into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in October 2013. Considered by many to be the greatest golfer the state of Illinois has ever produced, Small became the youngest man to ever be enshrined in the hall of fame.

The summer of 2007 saw arguably the biggest of those successes when he won the low club professional at the 2007 PGA Championship and shared the award stand with its champion Tiger Woods on national television. Four years later, he again earned low club professional honors at the 2011 PGA Championship, where he has honored alongside PGA champion Keegan Bradley on CBS.

Playing Career Synopsis

2013: Inducted into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in October as the hall's youngest member. Qualified for his ninth PGA Championship and 12th career major. Also won his record 10th Illinois PGA championship and will compete as part of the United States team at the PGA Cup in September.

2012: Qualified for his eighth PGA Championship, the 11th major of his career.

2011: Earned low club professional honors for the second time at the PGA Championship, which he played for the seventh time in his career.

2010: Won his record tying third PGA Professional National Championship and second in a row. He also claimed his record ninth Illinois PGA title and eighth straight with a convincing 11-stroke victory at Olympia Fields. Small also earned his third PGA Professional Player of the Year honor.

2009: Small won the PGA Professional National Championship for the second time in his career. He made the cut in the 2005 and 2007 PGA and missed the cut by a stroke in 2006.

2008: The summer of 2008 saw Small win the Illinois PGA title for the sixth straight year and seventh overall, both event records.

2007: Small won the PGA Professional of the Year award for the second straight year and was honored as the low club professional at the PGA Championship. He claimed the Illinois PGA championship for a record sixth time and fifth in a row, and won his fourth straight Illinois Open. He also won the Illinois Match Play Championship and qualified for his third U.S. Open.

2006: Small was named the PGA Professional Player of the Year by the PGA of America after another brilliant summer. He made the cut in five of nine PGA Tour events, highlighted by a season-high finish of 38th at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. He also finished fourth at the PGA Professional National Championship, earning a berth to his third consecutive PGA Championship. In addition to his success nationally, Small also won Illinois Open and Illinois PGA titles for the second straight year. He remains the only golfer ever to win both titles in the same year, a feat he has now achieved four times. It was his third Illinois Open victory and fourth consecutive IPGA title, as well as his fifth all-time.

2005: The summer proved to be one of the most spectacular in Small's professional career. In June, he won the PGA Professional National Championship, held at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, S.C., earning an exemption for the second consecutive year to the PGA Championship, as well as earning six exemptions for PGA Tour events in 2006.

Small then reached a professional pinnacle in August when he made the cut at the PGA Championship at historic Baltusrol in Springfield N.J., marking the first time in four career tries that he advanced to the weekend in a major.

Small continued his summer run by winning his third consecutive Illinois PGA Championship, marking the second time in three years that he won both Illinois Open and IPGA titles in the same year. His dramatic run concluded in September when he led a 10-member U.S. team across the Atlantic to compete against Great Britain and Ireland in the 22nd PGA Cup, a club professional version of the Ryder Cup.

Following the national club pro title, Small made the cut at the PGA Tour's Western Open for the third straight year. He then won his second Illinois Open Championship, storming back from a five-shot deficit to win the title on the strength of a final-round 67.

2004: Small repeated as the Illinois PGA Champion, claiming his third IPGA title in four years. Small finished 7-under par at Royal Melbourne and broke the course record with a 65 during round two. He then went on to take runner-up honors at the PGA Professional National Championship, missing medalist honors by just one stroke after shooting 11-under par at the Longaberger Course in Nashport, Ohio.

For the second straight summer, Small made the cut at the PGA Tour's Western Open. He tallied three straight rounds under par at Cog Hill's Dubsdread Course, and had a hole-in-one during the second round of play when he aced the 180-yard hole No. 2. Small was listed on the leaderboard entering Sunday's final round, in sixth place, before finishing tied for 27th.

Small's memorable summer culminated in August when he traveled to Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis., to compete in his first-ever PGA Championship, which also marked his third career appearance in a major.

2003: Small made an amazing return to competitive golf in the spring of 2003 after an arm injury and subsequent rehabilitation kept him from playing for nearly a year. He won the 2003 Illinois PGA and Illinois Open titles, becoming the first golfer ever to win both tournaments in the same year. His win at the Illinois PGA qualified him for the Western Open. Small made the cut at the prestigious PGA Tour event, finishing in 43rd place at 3-under par. He also finished fourth at the 2003 Northern Club Pro to qualify for the 2004 PGA Professional National Championship.

2001 & 2002: In the summer of 2002, he finished second at the Illinois PGA Championship. In the summer of 2001, Small won the Illinois PGA title, placed second in regional qualifying for the 2002 PGA Professional National Championship and set the course record at Stone Creek, carding an 8-under-par 64.

College Career

Small was a letterwinner on the Illinois squad from 1985-88. He was a member of the 1988 Big Ten Championship team and finished second individually in that tournament behind teammate and current PGA Tour member Steve Stricker. Small was named to the All-Big Ten squad and earned first-team NCAA Region IV honors. He earned medalist honors in two tournaments during his senior year at Illinois, winning both the Butler National Intercollegiate and the Michigan State Spartan Classic. Small joined the professional ranks in 1990.

Personal Information

A native of Danville, Ill., Small has returned to the area where he grew up. Small was a standout at Danville High School where he won four letters in golf and two in basketball. Before becoming an Illini, Small won the Junior Masters in 1984. He went on to have a successful career for the Fighting Illini before receiving his bachelor's degree in business administration from Illinois in 1988.

Small's father, Bill, was the captain of the 1963 Big Ten Champion Fighting Illini basketball team. Bill earned All-Big Ten accolades and won three varsity letters during his Illini career, which spanned from 1961-63.

Small's brother, Andy, also was an award-winning Fighting Illini athlete. Andy was a member of the 1990 Big Ten Champion Illinois baseball squad. He won four varsity letters as an infielder.

Small, his wife, Ann, and their two sons, Will and Wyatt, reside in Champaign.