NEWS | GCAA Dave Williams COTY award official press release
 
Norman, Okla.----Wingate University men's golf head coach JD Lamm has been named one of five finalists for the NCAA Division II Dave Williams Men's Coach of the Year Award, recognizing one of the top coaching accomplishments in collegiate golf.
 
Lamm joins an elite group of finalists that includes Darcy Donaldson of Georgia Southwestern, Steve Fell of West Florida, Gareth Lappin of Grand Valley State and Brian Richey of Florida Southern.
 
The recognition comes following one of the strongest seasons in Wingate men's golf history, as Lamm guided the Bulldogs to a South Atlantic Conference Championship, an NCAA Regional qualification and an NCAA Championship appearance.
 
Historic season for the Bulldogs
 
Under Lamm's leadership, the Bulldogs climbed as high as No. 4 in the national rankings while holding the No. 1 spot in the region for much of the season.
 
Wingate consistently established itself as one of the premier teams in NCAA Division II golf, highlighted by the following accomplishments:
 
- A 281.9 team scoring average
- Five team victories
- Six top-three finishes
- South Atlantic Conference Championship title
- NCAA Championship qualification for the second consecutive season
 
The Bulldogs dominated the SAC Championship from start to finish, winning the stroke play portion by nine shots before sweeping through medal match play to claim the conference crown.
 
Wingate led the '26 SAC field in par-four scoring, par-five scoring, most pars and fewest bogeys. The Bulldogs finished an impressive 21-under-par on par fives during the conference championship.
 
Elite individual performances
 
Wingate featured one of the deepest lineups in NCAA Division II throughout the season, led by national award finalists and multiple All-SAC selections.
 
Lewis Beeden, the No. 1 ranked player in the nation for much of the season, earned SAC Men's Golfer of the Year honors and first team All-SAC. He was named a Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year finalist. Beeden posted a 69.4 scoring average with multiple victories and top-10 finishes throughout the season.
 
The Bulldogs also received major contributions from…
 
- Brandon Skidmore
- Alfie Storer
- Mattia D'Errico
- Cole Rouse
- Max Drott 
 
…with multiple nationally ranked players throughout the lineup helping establish Wingate as one of the nation's elite programs.
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate junior men's golfer Matthew Wordon (Bath, England)
 
"Coach Lamm truly deserves this recognition. Managing two highly successful teams while balancing coaching, team dynamics and making sure we succeed both on and off the course is not something many people can do. Being the only Division II school with both the men's and women's teams qualifying for nationals the past two years really shows the level of coach and leader he is."
 
"Coach Lamm is always there to help us improve in any way he can — whether that's on the course, in practice or with life outside of golf. He pushes us to be better athletes, students and people every day. I'm incredibly grateful to play for a coach like him."
 
National recognition
 
The Dave Williams Coach of the Year Award is one of the highest honors in collegiate golf coaching, recognizing excellence in leadership, player development and team achievement throughout the season.
 
Being named a finalist places Lamm among the top coaches in NCAA Division II golf and further solidifies Wingate men's golf as one of the premier programs in the country.
 
Lamm and the Bulldogs continue to build momentum on the national stage, adding another milestone to an already historic season for Wingate men's golf.
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 18 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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(Editor's note: Wingate junior men's golf student-athlete Matthew Wordon contributed this article. He is an international business major from Bath, England.)