Brown Recipient of Labron Harris Sr. Award presented by E-Z-GO
Friday, January 9, 2009
Brown Recipient of Labron Harris Sr. Award presented by E-Z-GO
NORMAN, Okla. ? Jim Brown ?Ohio State head men?s golf coach and member of the Southern Ohio PGA Section ? has been named winner of the Labron Harris Sr. Award presented by E-Z-GO in cooperation with The PGA of America and the Golf Coaches Association of America. The Harris Award is presented to the college or high school coach and PGA Professional whose support of the game through teaching, coaching and involvement in the community has helped ensure the continued growth of the game and represents the finest qualities the game has to offer.
?This is a great honor,? said Brown. ?I knew and coached against Labron Harris who was both a great college coach and PGA Professional. Many quality individuals have won this award and I?m both honored and highly pleased to have been selected.?
The 2008-09 season is Brown?s 36th and final at Ohio State. He will conclude his coaching career as the longest serving head coach in Ohio State History and the longest serving coach in men?s golf in Big Ten history. Since coming to Ohio State in 1973, Brown has led the Buckeyes to a league-record 17 Big Ten Championships. Ohio State won the conference crown all but two seasons from 1976-90. The Buckeyes qualified for the NCAA Championships 31 times, with 11 top-10 finishes and claimed the 1979 national championship. Brown has tutored an NCAA individual champion, 18 Big Ten medalists, 92 All-Big Ten selections, 11 first-team All-Americans and 40 other All-America honorees. Ohio State players also excelled in the classroom during his tenure, earning 11 All-America Scholar Awards and 55 Academic All-Big Ten honors and 84 Ohio State Scholar-Athlete nods since the inception of both awards in 1987.
Brown received the Dave Williams Award as national coach of the year in both 1979 and 1986, was named District IV Coach of the Year in consecutive seasons from 1977 through 1980 and again from 1982 through 1987 and claimed Big Ten Coach of the Year three times. He also led the United States to victory in the 1979 USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championships and the 1999 Palmer Cup.
Brown served as GCAA president from 1990-92. He also served on the NCAA Golf Committee from 1990-96. In addition, Brown has been a member of both the All-America selection committee and the NCAA District IV Regional Advisory Committee. He was inducted in to the GCAA Hall of Fame in 1989 and is also a member of The Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame, Martins Ferry High School Hall of Fame and the Ohio Golf Association Hall of Fame.
?On behalf of E-Z-GO and its employees worldwide, I congratulate Jim Brown for contributions to the Game and his years of commitment to and success in college golf at OSU,? said Kevin Holleran, President of E-Z-GO. ?Jim?s tenure as the longest serving coach in men?s golf in Big Ten history is just one of the many proof points to his dedication and love for the Game. What is also impressive is how the Ohio State players have also excelled in the classroom ? another proof point to his preparing our young golfers to be successful in all aspects of their lives. E-Z-GO is again proud to be associated with an award that honors those that continue to give back to golf.?
E-Z-GO, a Textron Inc. company, is a leading manufacturer of golf cars and utility vehicles. E-Z-GO is the preferred golf car fleet provider for many of the world?s most revered golf courses, clubs and resorts. E-Z-GO is also the golf car of choice of nine of the nation?s 10 largest course-management companies. E-Z-GO boasts the largest sales and service network in the industry, with more factory branch locations and independent distributors than any other manufacturer.
More than a maker of golf cars, E-Z-GO is also a leading provider of industrial, turf and utility vehicles for a variety of applications and industries. Products under the E-Z-GO flagship include the RXV fleet golf car and the Freedom RXV personal golf car, MPT turf-maintenance vehicles, Shuttle personnel carriers, and ST utility vehicles. E-Z-GO also produces the Cushman line of heavy-duty burden carriers.
Founded in 1954 in Augusta, Ga., E-Z-GO became part of Textron Inc. in 1961.