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Finalists Announced for 2023 NAIA Dave Williams Coach of the Year Award presented by Golf Pride Grips

NORMAN, Okla. - NAIA finalists for the 2023 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 NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, NJCAA Division I, and NJCAA Division II men’s golf.

The five finalists are Tina Barrett of OUAZ, Rob Brown of Bellevue, Brandon Miller of Keiser, Ben Rickett of Dalton State, and Eric Wyrick of Lindsey Wilson. 

Barrett led OUAZ to five tournaments this season, including their first two in both the fall and spring. Four All-Golden State Athletic Conference golfers led the Spirit en route to making their third-straight appearance in the national championship. 

Bellevue won four tournaments in 2022-23 under Brown, the North Star Athletic Association Coach of the Year. The Bruins won the NSAA Championship and were led by five First-Team All-NSAA members, including NSAA Individual Champion Hugo Ronnberg. 

Miller, the Sun Conference Coach of the Year, led Keiser to six victories this season, including in their first two fall tournaments and the Sun Conference Championship. The Seahawks were led on the course by four All-Sun Conference golfers, including Sun Conference Men’s Golfer of the Year Isac Wallin.  

Dalton State finished in the top five eight times and won four times this season under Rickett, the Southern States Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. The Eagles had four players earn First-Team All-SSAC honors this season, including Player of the Year Steve Kibare and Newcomer of the Year Gavin Noble. 

All five finalists are coaching this week at the 2023 NAIA Men’s Golf Championships at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona.

About Golf Pride Grips

For over seven decades, Golf Pride® has been the global leader in golf grip innovation and technology, from the invention of the slip-on grip to groundbreaking advancements in cord with their new Brushed Cotton Technology (BCT®) to the introduction of the hybrid category of grips. Today, Golf Pride® has laid claim to more major wins than any other grip company. More than 80% of Tour professionals choose to play their grips and not one is paid to do so. And in this age of multi-million dollar endorsement deals, that’s the strongest endorsement of all. Whether you’re a Tour pro playing a major, a rising amateur, or an everyday golfer, you can rest assured knowing you’re playing the #1 Grip in Golf. To learn more about Golf Pride®, go to golfpride.com.