Two-time regional Coach of the Year and four-time conference Coach of the Year Jeanne Sutherland was named head coach of the SMU women's golf team in the spring of 2011. She is currently in her 10th season (2020-21) on the Hilltop. Sutherland, who spent 15 years at the helm of the Texas A&M women's golf program, came to the Hilltop after four years as head professional at Vail (Colo.) Golf Club.
Sutherland helped the Mustangs to one of the top scoring averages in school history during the shortened 2019-20 season. Five Mustangs had top-20 finishes on the season, and three posted top-10 finishes during the course of the year.
In 2018-19, Sutherland the inaugural recipient of the Kim Evans Award, led the Mustangs to a win at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational where they tied with No. 2 Texas. The Ponies added two other 5th place finishes in the season at the opening event, the Golfweek Conference Challenge and at their home event, the Trinity Forest Invitational. Sutherland coached senior Brigitte Dunne, who advanced to the NCAA Norman Regional, Â to the top of the SMU record book in career birdies (368), eagles (8), rounds of par or better (46), total rounds played (136) and counting scores (126, 96.2%).
During the 2017-18 campaign, Sutherland coached the Mustangs to two top-5 performances at the Golfweek Conference Challenge and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The squad finished tied for seventh at the AAC Championship, where sophomore Faith Summers would earn All-Conference Honors and advance to the NCAA Austin Regional as an individual alongside teammate Brigitte Dunne.
The Mustangs made their
15th NCAA appearance in 2017 and finished second at the American Athletic Championship in April. SMU enjoyed its highest-ever program ranking of
20th, and three Mustangs earned All-Conference honors. The Ponies also produced program records for season scoring average (293.35), most rounds at par or better (8) and most birdies (417).
The 2015-16 season marked the fourth consecutive postseason berth for Sutherland and the Mustangs. The Ponies also had three all-conference selections, as well as Freshman of the Year Brigitte Dunne. SMU also earned a pair of tournament championships at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational and Clover Cup.
In 2014-15 Sutherland led SMU to its third straight postseason bid. The Mustangs won the inaugural East/West Match Play Challenge in Ann Arbor, Mich. in September. After finishing fourth in stroke play, SMU defeated Ohio State (3-2) and UC Irvine (3-2) to claim the tournament title. The Mustangs went on to place second at the American Athletic Conference before advancing to the NCAA Regional in St. George, Utah.
The 2013-14 campaign saw Sutherland lead SMU to another NCAA Regional berth in San Antonio. Additionally, Sutherland coached sophomore Jenny
Haglund to the inaugural American Athletic Conference individual championship. The Mustangs took third at the conference championship.
In the 2012-13 season, Sutherland led the Mustangs to three team titles, the most since 2003-04. Two Mustangs took home individual titles - Alexandra Rossi won in her first collegiate event at the Chip-N Club Invite and Melanie White broke the event record at the Johnie
Imes Invitational. SMU went on to play the NCAA Regional in Norman, Oklahoma. At A&M, Sutherland transformed the Aggie program into one of the nation's elite, becoming a mainstay in the top 25 national rankings and reaching postseason play in 13 of her 15 years as head coach.
Prior to Sutherland's arrival at A&M, the Aggies had not won a tournament in seven years, but once she took the reins, the Aggies captured 13 tournament crowns and three Big 12 Conference titles. In addition to the team's success, Sutherland's players earned individual honors. She led A&M golfers to three All-America honors, four individual conference titles, 22 regular-season individual titles, 25 All-Conference accolades, three conference Player of the Year awards, two Newcomer of the Year awards, 17 Academic All-America honors and 50 All-Conference Academic Team selections.
Sutherland has been honored by her peers as conference coach of the year four times. In 1995, she was named Southwest Conference coach of the year after leading the Aggies to a second-place league finish, and in 1997, Sutherland was named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year and NCAA West District Coach of the Year after A&M finished as conference runner-up and qualified for the NCAA Championships. Sutherland again was named Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2006 after A&M captured the league crown and then ended her run in College Station in 2007 with an NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year award, another Big 12 Coach of the Year crown, a team conference championship and a No. 14 ranking by
Golfweek.
Sutherland was an assistant professional at Vail GC before accepting the A&M coaching position in 1992. A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Sutherland played college golf at the University of Northern Iowa, where she earned All-America honors as a sophomore after placing third at the
AIAW Division II National Championships and leading the team to a third-place finish. In 1983, she placed
13th at nationals and paced the team to a fifth-place performance.
Sutherland received a bachelor's degree in English/teaching with a minor in coaching from UNI in 1983. She served as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Iowa in 1987-89 while earning a master's degree in physical education/athletic administration. In 1997, Sutherland was inducted in the University of Northern Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame as well as the Dubuque (Iowa) High School Athletics Hall of Fame. A PGA Class A professional, Sutherland also has taught at the renowned John Jacobs Golf Schools.
