Information from the Arizona media relations department contributed to this report:
The University of Arizona and head men’s golf coach Jim Anderson have agreed to terms on a new contract to lead Arizona Men’s Golf through the 2024 season. Anderson was the 2021 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and guided the Wildcats to their first Pac-12 championship since 2004.
“Jim has established Arizona Men’s Golf as a program of champions on the course, in the classroom and in our community,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Dave Heeke. “After earning Pac-12 Coach of the Year and guiding the team to its first Pac-12 title since 2004, Jim’s guidance of the program has added more chapters to its storied legacy. The student-athletes he recruits, develops and coaches live out the Wildcat Way by becoming athletic, academic and life champions. I look forward to watching Arizona Men’s Golf continue to achieve its standard of championship excellence under Jim’s leadership.”
The 2020-21 season, Anderson’s ninth as head coach, was a banner season of championship success on the course and in the classroom. In addition to winning the Pac-12 Championship as a team, Brad Reeves won the individual championship en route to becoming Arizona’s first Pac-12 Golfer of the Year since Chris Nallen in 2004. Reeves was a First Team All-Pac-12 selection alongside Trevor Werbylo, and the tandem of David Laskin and Chase Sienkiewicz were named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team.
“Coaching at The University of Arizona is an incredible honor,” Anderson said. “I love Tucson and being a part of our university, program and golf community brings me great humility and pride. I look forward to continuing to serve this tremendous university and community. I appreciate the opportunity Dave Heeke and our leadership team at Arizona Athletics have extended to Nita and my family to continue to be proud members of the Wildcat Family. Mike Ketcham has also been a key member of this team and our program who has helped us navigate to a position of sustained success. I will continue to make the same commitment to serve and work tirelessly because I know what Arizona Golf means to many people, and I believe in what this program can accomplish.”
The Wildcats qualified for NCAA Regionals for a third consecutive year, marking the program’s first back-to-back-to-back NCAA postseason appearances since the mid 2000’s. The team’s win at the Pac-12 Championships was the third tournament win of the season, following victories at the Arizona Intercollegiate and The Prestige. Each of those tournaments were also won by Wildcats individually with Reeves and Werbylo winning the tournaments for their first career individual victories.
Arizona’s academic success has continued to rise under Anderson’s leadership. David Laskin was named the 2020-21 Pac-12 Men’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year as well as receiving the Tom Hansen Medal from the conference. Laskin became the second student-athlete of the Jim Anderson era to win the Pac-12’s top individual academic award.
Anderson has coached Wildcats to All-Pac-12 Teams on eight different occasions in his nine seasons at Arizona in addition to placing student-athletes on the Pac-12 All-Academic Teams 10 times. Reeves and Werbylo have received All-America honors during their careers at Arizona.
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