Jason Enloe spent five-plus seasons at the helm of the SMU men’s golf team. Enloe was named head coach of the men’s golf team on Aug. 8, 2014, after spending three years as an assistant, and coached the program until stepping down on Feb. 7, 2020.
“This was an exceedingly hard decision for me to make,” said Enloe, who lost his wife and the mother of his two daughters, Katie, to leukemia in July 2018, “but it’s the decision that is best for me, for my family and for the SMU golf program. It’s time for me to start a new chapter in my life and it’s time to move on from being a college golf coach.
“I want to thank my current and former players, their parents, my friends, my family, the SMU administration and the countless others who have shown me such great support over the last few years. Coaching at my alma mater has been a dream come true and I will always treasure the memories. I’d like to believe that I’ve left the program in a position to succeed, and I look forward to cheering the team on as an alum, knowing that they will remain among the elite college golf programs.”
Enloe’s tenure was highlighted by success at the NCAA Championships, producing the program’s first NCAA Individual Champion in 2015, when Bryson DeChambeau claimed medalist honors at the NCAA Championships, and reaching the match-play quarterfinals in 2019 after winning a playoff with Clemson for a spot in the final eight. The Mustangs also captured the program’s first NCAA Regional Championship in 2015, winning the Noblesville (Ill.) Regional.
In 2018-19, the regional coach of the year, Enloe led the Mustangs to the NCAA Championship Quarterfinals before falling to No. 1 seed Oklahoma State. The squad had four victories on the season, including first time collegiate wins for Mac Meissner and Ollie Osborne. The team finished second at the conference tournament, where Mac Meissner claimed the individual title and Player of the Year. Both Meissner and Noah Goodwin were named to the All-Conference Team, All-Region Team and Third Team All-America and All-America Honorable Mention respectively.
In 2017-18, team finished top-10 at six events. The Mustangs placed second at the conference championships for the third time since joining the American in 2014, with Meissner earning Freshman of the Year. Meissner went on to the NCAA Norman regional where he finished with a share of 21st place.
In 2016-17, the Mustangs finished top-10 in five events, including a fourth-place finish at the Clemson Invitational (April 7-9) and a fifth-place finish at the Southwestern Invitational (Feb. 27-28). Gray Townsend earned his first collegiate tournament win, and recorded a career-low tournament score of 207 (-9, 70-69-68) at the Marquette Invitational.
Enloe led the SMU men’s golf team to two victories in 2015-16, the Erin Hills Intercollegiate and the Farms Collegiate Invitational. At Erin Hills, SMU topped known power house programs, Oklahoma State, UCLA and Ole Miss. At The Farms, the Mustangs were the only team to shoot under par, finishing 8-under with a three-round score of 856. SMU finished 29 strokes ahead of second-place San Francisco (+21,885). Academically, the team was named a 2016 All-Academic team, while Andrew Buchanan and Ryan Burgess received Division I Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars honors, both being selected by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
The former Tour player competed in the 2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball tournament and advanced to the semifinals with former teammate Alex Buecking. Current student-athletes under coach Enloe, Ben Baxter and Andrew Buchanan, went on to win the title.
In 2015, Enloe led the Mustangs to their second-consecutive, top-three American Athletic Conference Championship finish, coming in second. SMU pushed forward to NCAA play, where the Mustangs tied No. 4 Illinois for the win at the NCAA Noblesville Regional, before a 14th-place team finish in the championship.
In 2014, Enloe helped lead a group that advanced to the 2014 NCAA Quarterfinals and achieved the program’s highest national finish since 1954 (T-5). SMU won the inaugural American Athletic Conference Championship and Bryson Dechambeau, who now has his PGA Tour card, took individual medalist honors as well. SMU advanced to the NCAA Championships after placing fourth in the NCAA Regionals, including leading for a portion of the final round. Enloe and SMU also hosted the Querencia Cabo Collegiate in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for the first time in 2014.
Enloe returned to SMU in 2012 after a 14-year professional golf career, playing on the PGA/Nationwide Tour, the Canadian Tour, Golden Bear Your and the Adams Tour. He won the Nationwide’s Fort Smith Classic in 2009 and the Pete Dye Classic in 2006. He played on the 1997 U.S. World Amateur Team and has twice reached the latter stages of match play at the U.S. Amateur. Enloe was also a four-year letterman for the Mustang golf team.
In 2013, SMU took second at the Conference USA Championships and sixth at the NCAA Regionals. In 2012, the Mustangs tied for fourth in the C-USA Championship and were as high as second at the NCAA Regionals before dropping to seventh in the final round.
Coaching
- 2018-19 Dave Williams Award Finalist
- 2018-19 Pride Grips Regional Coach of the Year
Amateur Experience
- 1995 U.S. Amateur Quarterfinalist
- 1996 Monroe Invitational Champion
- 1996 Northeast Amateur Champion
- 1996 US Amateur Round of 16
- 1996 World Amateur Team Member (T-16th)
- 2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Semifinalist
- 2019 U.S. Amateur Qualifier
Professional Experience
- Nationwide PGA Tour 2003-11
- 2006 Nationwide Tour Pete Dye Classic Champion
- 2009 Nationwide Tour Fort Smith Classic Champion
- Over 200 career starts on Nationwide Tour
Jason Enloe with Bryson Dechambeau
