PEORIA, Ill. -- Having chased her dream as a touring professional, former Yale University women's golf coach Mary Moan will resume her coaching career as women's golf head coach at Bradley University, according to an announcement today from Braves Director of Athletics Dr. Michael Cross.
"Mary Moan is incredibly hard working, dynamic, talented and a risk taker," said Cross. "Almost immediately after her collegiate career, she achieved significant success as a coach, yet had the guts to pursue her dreams of a professional playing career. Now, as she returns to collegiate coaching, her professional playing experience will make her coaching even better and Bradley Women's Golf will be the beneficiary.
"Mary is a proven winner who has demonstrated a total commitment to the personal development of student-athletes," Cross added. "Her leadership will be a welcome addition to Bradley Athletics."
"I am grateful that Dr. Cross has given me an opportunity to join a community that is committed to the development of young people," said Moan. "I am thrilled to return to collegiate athletics and to have the chance to mentor young female student-athletes as they set academic and athletic goals. Bradley has tremendous resources and a strong network of support, and I am confident this team will challenge for Missouri Valley Conference titles and achieve success at the national level."
Moan served as the head coach at Yale University from 2000-05, directing the Bulldogs to a pair of Ivy League championships (2002, 2003), in addition to nine regular-season tournament titles in her five seasons. Moan's players at Yale combined for eight individual tournament championships, including the 2005 Ivy League medalist, 13 all-conference awards and five National Golf Coaches Association All-America Scholar honors.
She left her position at Yale, however, to pursue a full-time professional playing career, qualifying for the LPGA's developmental Duramed Futures Tour each of the last five seasons. As part of her qualification, Moan boasts four professional wins on the Moonlight Golf Tour and a pair of top 10 finishes on the SunCoast Ladies Series, both headquartered in Orlando, Fla., as well as five top 10 finishes in various state Open tournaments, including a runner-up at the 2009 Massachusetts Women's Open. Prior to assuming professional status, Moan won the 2004 Connecticut Amateur stroke play championship, as well as the 2004 Connecticut State Women's Golf Association match play title.
In order to support her playing career, Moan raised support by building and maintaining sponsor relationships and she formed the Limited Liability Company MKM Golf, LLC to manage her career. Since 2008, Moan also has worked as a Golf Shop Coordinator and Reservationist at TPC Sawgrass, serving members, guests, PGA Tour executives and PGA Tour players on a daily basis. TPC Sawgrass was recognized as a Golf World Magazine "100 Best Golf Shops" for the 2009 Resort category. She also currently serves as an instructor for the First Tee program in St. John's (Fla.) County.
Moan maintained her connection to Yale by serving as the Assistant Coordinator for Golf Outings and Outreach in 2007. In her role with outreach initiatives, Moan developed teaching programs for Yale Golf Course members and juniors, in addition to assisting with the existing Special Olympic and First Tee programs in New Haven, Conn.
Following a standout playing career as a student-athlete at Princeton University and one year working as an administrative assistant for the United States Golf Association, Moan began her coaching career as an assistant at the University of Florida from 1998-2000. In her final season assisting the Gators women's golf program, Moan helped Florida to an 18th-place finish at the 2000 NCAA Championship. She also earned her master's degree in exercise and sport sciences with a concentration in sport management from Florida in 2003.
Moan won 16 collegiate tournaments during her undergraduate playing career at Princeton, including the 1997 Ivy League championship, the 1996 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference title and the 1994, 1995 and 1997 New England Collegiate Championships. A 1997 National Golf Coaches Association All-American, Moan was a three-time NCAA Regionals individual qualifier and advanced to the 1997 finals, while also earning a spot on the East team in the East/West Match Play competition. She earned her bachelor's degree in history with a certificate in American studies from Princeton in 1997.
