GCAA Names 2006 Hall of Fame Inductees
Posted Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006
GCAA Names 2006 Hall of Fame Inductees
Conley, Watney to be inducted into Hall of Fame
NORMAN, Okla. ? The Golf Coaches Association of America has named inductees for its 2006 Hall of Fame Class. Methodist coach Steve Conley and Mike Watney of Fresno State will be honored at the GCAA Hall of Fame Reception and Awards Banquet on Monday, Jan. 22 at the Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
In his 21st season as head coach at Methodist, Conley has led the Monarchs to nine NCAA Division III national championships. Methodist has finished in the national?s top five every since Conley accepting the Methodist coaching position in 1987. Highlighting the success are national championships from 1990-92 and 1994-99, plus three national runner-up finishes and nine third-place showings. In addition, Methodist has won 18 conference championships during his tenure. Conley has been a 14-time Coach of the Year in both the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the USA South Athletic Conference, a 10-time GCAA District/Regional Coach of the Year and four-time Eaton/Golf Pride National Coach of the Year. He has produced nine individual national champions, 62 PING All-America selections and 12 Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars. In 1998, Conley led the Americans to victory in the Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship.
A 1973 graduate of Fresno State, Watney became head coach at his alma mater in 1979. He led the Bulldogs to a conference championship and a 12th place finish at the NCAA Championships, which laid the foundation for future Bulldog golf success. Throughout his time at Fresno State, Watney has tutored 29 PING All-America selections. His squads have captured 13 conference championships, including six-consecutive titles from 1986-91. Watney led his team to Western Athletic Conference titles in 1994, 2000 and 2003. His teams have qualified for the NCAA Championships 24 times in the 28 years of his career. Watney led his 1990 squad to the best finish in Bulldog golf history - a fifth-place showing at the NCAA Championships. The members of his golf teams have also succeeded academically with 16 Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar honorees since 1989. Watney has garnered several coaching accolades, including three Eaton Golf Pride District/Region Coach of the Year honors and conference coach of the year nine times - six in the Big West and three times in the Western Athletic Conference. Watney also serves annually as the tournament director for the Topy Cup in Japan.