Finalists Announced for the 2021 NAIA Dave Williams Award presented by Golf Pride Grips
NORMAN, Okla.— NAIA finalists for the 2021 Dave Williams Award presented by Golf Pride Grips have been announced by the GCAA. The Williams Award honors the national coach of the year in NAIA men’s golf.
The five finalists are Tina Barrett of Ottawa (AZ), Texas Wesleyan’s Shaun Hensley, Point’s Shannon Lipham, Keiser’s Brandon Miller and Ben Rickett of Dalton State. If a team wins the NAIA National Championship and its coach was not previously named a finalist for the Dave Williams Award that coach will be added for the coach of the year consideration.
Barrett led the Spirit to six wins on the season, most recently grabbing a victory at the Golden State Athletic Conference Championship. Barrett’s team saw seven players named to the 2020-21 NAIA All-Region West team. Barrett was also one of five finalists for the Dave Williams Award last season.
Texas Wesleyan, led by Hensley, finished ranked eighth in the country per the Bushnell Golfweek NAIA Poll. The Rams tallied top three finishes in four of their seven events and won their season opener at the Dornick Hills Invitational. Hensley also had a pair named to the Sooner Athletic Conference All-Conference team.
Lipham-led Point College tallied seven straight victories on the year. Following back-to-back third places finishes, the Skyhawks took home the hardware for an eighth time at the AAC Spring Championship. Point finished the regular season as the No. 1 team in the country in the Bushnell Golfweek NAIA Coaches Poll.
Miller was named Sun Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Seahawks to four wins on the season, finishing inside the top three in nine of 10 tournaments this season. Miller is in search of his first men’s national championship as he has been at the helm for Keiser’s two women’s national championship teams in 2015 and 2016. Miller also swept the GCAA and WGCA NAIA Coach of the Year honors in the COVID shortened 2019-20 season.
Dalton State’s Ben Rickett has managed his Roadrunner squad to a No. 4 ranking in the final Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll. The 2020-21 campaign fared well for Rickett as he took home the Southern States Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors for the fourth time. Fifth year senior Ben Rebne was named SSAC Player of the Year for the third consecutive year, under Rickett’s tutelage.
About Golf Pride Grips:
Eaton’s Golf Pride Grips Division is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of golf grips, with manufacturing, sales and distribution facilities on six continents. The division’s Golf Pride brand is recognized globally as the number one choice in grips among TOUR and recreational players, competitive amateur golfers, club manufacturers and club repairmen.
-GCAA-