DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – For the second time in her career, Embry-Riddle Women's Golf Head Coach
Maria Lopez has been named the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) Coach of the Year. One of the highest honors in women's golf, the LPGA T&CP was established in 1980 and in 2020, Lopez receives the 40
th edition of the award.
Lopez was previously honored with the LPGA Coach of the Year accolade in 2007, becoming the first NAIA coach in the award's history, and now is the first NCAA II coach to earn the award since Rollins' Iris Schneider in 1992.
The national award winners were selected by the Executive Committee of the LPGA Professionals from the pool of the section award winners voted on by officers of the six regional sections: Central, International, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Western.
"Being an LPGA Class A Member and the Head Women's Golf Coach at Embry-Riddle has been my life's calling and a dream come true," Lopez said. "I am overjoyed to have our program be recognized for its growth and achievement. It is a tremendous privilege and honor that brings great pride to our student-athletes and alumni. We are beyond humbled and grateful."
The 2019-20 season marked Lopez's 20
th campaign with the Eagles. The Volusia County native pioneered the ERAU women's golf program in 2000, building the Blue and Gold into a national powerhouse, all while maintaining the Embry-Riddle Athletics' mantra of Student, Person, Player.
This past year marked the Blue and Gold's best as an NCAA II member as the Eagles made their NCAA-era debut in the WGCA Top-25 Poll in February, breaking the program record for season stroke average (310.4) by nearly three strokes, and featuring three individuals that registered top-10 season averages, including
Sophia Dieter's record-breaking 75.3 average.
Lopez's 2019-20 squad was most recently named a WGCA All-Scholar Team, boasting the second-highest GPA in all of NCAA II (3.839) and a program-record five WGCA All-American Scholars, as well as 11 Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll awardees. Additionally, nine Eagles were named D2ADA Academic Achievement Award winners.
"This team has honored the legacies of previous teams, and set their own level of excellence," Lopez said. "I am in awe of them and grateful for the opportunity to coach them. They have overcome tremendous adversities and personal challenges with grit and coachability. They amaze me and bless me so much."
In her two decades at the helm of the Eagle program, ERAU has accrued five regional championships, seven conference titles and had an incredible run of 14 consecutive NAIA National Championships appearances (2002-15) before the NCAA transition.
"Absolutely thrilled to learn that Coach Lopez has been named the National Coach of the Year by the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals," ERAU Director of Athletics
John Phillips said. "This recognition speaks volumes to the dedication and commitment she has shown over the last 20 years. From her very first team back in 2000, to her team today — she and her student-athletes have always embraced our Student-Person-Player mindset. What a way to cap off an unbelievable year for Embry-Riddle women's golf — our first NCAA II national ranking, a team GPA of 3.94 in the spring and now the LPGA National Coach of the Year!"
Courtesy of Embry-Riddle Athletic Communications