Colleen Cashman-McSween Named Head Women’s Golf Coach At UAlbany

ALBANY, N.Y. – University at Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on Friday, Sept. 6th the hiring of Colleen Cashman-McSween as the Great Danes’ head women’s golf coach. Cashman-McSween spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the University of Michigan women’s golf team.

“Colleen’s experience, knowledge, recruiting history and work ethic will take the Great Danes to new heights of achievement and consistency,” said McElroy. “I believe the UAlbany women’s golf program is on the cusp of great advances.”

During the 2011-12 season at Michigan, Cashman-McSween helped the Wolverines reach their seventh NCAA regional appearance, while capturing five top-five individual finishes and a fourth-place team result at the Big Ten Championship. Michigan ended the season ranked 48th in the nation at the NCAA Division I level. In the 2012-13 season, she helped the squad to co-medalist team honors at the Wolverine Invitational, and coached the tournament’s individual champion.

Cashman-McSween oversaw Michigan’s recruiting process, and successfully committed two of the nation’s top-35 recruits. She also monitored and oversaw the team’s academic progress, helping the squad achieve a perfect 1,000 APR mark.

Prior to arriving in Ann Arbor, Cashman-McSween coached 12 years at her high school alma mater, St. Thomas Aquinas, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She helped St. Thomas Aquinas to a 131-16-2 record in 12 seasons and to 12 straight Florida High School Golf State Championship appearances, winning the title in 2001 and earning a runner-up finish in 2003. The 12-year run is currently the longest streak in school history.
Cashman-McSween has seven regional titles and four runner-up titles to her credit as well as eight district titles and three district runner-up finishes. She was named the Florida State High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2001 and earned Coach of the Year honors from the Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel newspapers three times (2001, '03, '04). In 2011, she helped in the founding of the South Florida Off-Season High School Golf Tour.

In addition to her coaching duties with the Raiders, Cashman-McSween served as the director of marketing and membership for the Plantation Preserve Golf Course and Club in Plantation, Fla. from 2004-2011.
Before beginning her coaching career, Cashman-McSween played in more than 100 professional golf tournaments as part of the LPGA's FUTURES Golf Tour. Making the cut in nearly 80 percent of her events, she posted nine top-10 finishes, including winning the 2003 Tampa Bay Next Generation FUTURES Golf Classic. She also had two appearances at the U.S Women's Open. She played in 2002 at Prairie Dunes in Hutchison, Kan., and again in 2006 at Newport Country Club in Newport, R.I.

During her collegiate career at Purdue, she was a two-time All-Big Ten first team selection (1997, '98) and three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (1996, '97, '98). A three-time captain, she played in 45 consecutive events for the Boilermakers, never missing an event in her career. Helping Purdue to five team titles in her career, she was a two-time medalist -- the 1996 San Diego State Invitational and the 1998 Hawkeye Invitational -- and garnered four runner-up finishes.

Earning her bachelor's degree in restaurant, hotel, institutional and tourism management (RHIT) in 1998, Cashman-McSween was named Purdue's MVP on two occasions (1997, '98) and Purdue's Female Athlete of the Month twice (Sept. 1994 and Oct. 1996). She was awarded the Red Mackey Award for Commitment to Purdue Athletics in 1998 and has been nominated to serve on Purdue's Advisory Board for Women's Athletics.
“Thank you to Dr. McElroy for giving me this opportunity at UAlbany. I am super excited to get started,” said Cashman-McSween. “I like the direction the program is moving, and I am excited to be a part of it.”