GCAA Announces International Team Coaches
Posted Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006
GCAA Announces International Team Coaches
McGraw, Haas, McMakin and Blaser to lead U.S. Teams
NORMAN, Okla. ? Oklahoma State?s Mike McGraw, Jerry Haas of Wake Forest, Arkansas? Brad McMakin and Kyle Blaser of Oklahoma City have been selected as 2006 GCAA international team coaches announced the Golf Coaches Association of America. McGraw will lead the United States against Europe in the Palmer Cup presented by Monster at Caves Valley Golf Club, Haas will coach in the Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship, McMakin in the USA China Friendship Cup and Blaser at the Toyota World Junior Golf Cup.
Just the third head coach in the 60-year history of the Oklahoma State golf program, McGraw delivered five victories in his first season, including the Cowboys 10th national title. He broke through with his first victory at the Hall of Fame Invitational before collecting the team title at the Morris Williams Intercollegiate. He ended the season with three-straight wins - including the NCAA Championship - to close out his rookie season. The Eaton Golf Pride Dave Williams Award winner as national coach of the year tutored PING First-Team All-America selections Pablo Martin and Jonathan Moore, as well as Byron Nelson Award presented by Cleveland Golf recipient Zack Robinson. Additionally, Martin was named winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award as the collegiate player of the year and Moore received the Arnold Palmer Award presented by Callaway Golf for winning the individual NCAA Championship.
A former Wake Forest All-American, Haas is in his 10th season as head coach of his alma mater. His Deacons have finished in the top 10 in three of the last six NCAA Championships, including a third-place finish in 2006. Under Haas, Wake Forest has been a fixture in the national rankings, including a No. 1 ranking in 2001. Over the last 10 years, Wake Forest has won 10 tournaments, including the 2005 and 2006 NCAA East Regionals. During his tenure as head coach, WFU has produced 16 All-ACC selections and 18 individual tournament champions. In addition, Bill Haas was a three-time PING First-Team All-America selection, the 2003 and 2004 ACC Player of the Year as well as the winner of the 2004 Ben Hogan Award.
In his first year at Arkansas, McMakin recently completed his 10th season as head coach at Lamar. Last year the Cardinals won an NCAA-best seven tournaments in 13 events and placed two golfers in the top 10 individual finishers at the NCAA Championships. In his decade at the helm of the program, Lamar won five Southland Conference championships, made six-consecutive NCAA Central Regional appearances and, in 2006, earned its first trip to the NCAA Championships in 20 years. In the last six seasons, the Cardinals have had three players earn All-America honors, three golfers capture Southland Conference medalist honors, 21 all-conference performers and the conference?s only four-time player of the year. Last year McMakin was named the Eaton/Golf Pride South Central Regional Coach of the Year and won his fifth conference coach of the year accolade.
Last season under Blaser?s tutelage, Oklahoma City won its fifth NAIA national championship in six years. Blaser tied Dr. Lewis Hilley of Lamar for most national titles by a coach in NAIA history. In 2006, Blaser was NAIA coach of the year for the fifth time, the most of any coach in NAIA history. In his time at OCU, Blaser has coached three NAIA individual national champions, three NAIA national players of the year, 13 All-Americans, 13 academic all-Americans, six NAIA Region VI players of they year, six Sooner Athletic Conference individual champions and six Sooner Athletic Conference players of the year. OCU has won nine consecutive NAIA Region VI titles and nine Sooner Athletic Conference championships in a row and 58 tournaments overall under Blaser?s guidance.