Laurie Gibbs Named to WGCA National Coach of the Year Watch List
5/4/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Golf
FRISCO, Texas — Pepperdine women's golf head coach Laurie Gibbs has been named to the watch list for the 2025-26 Division I Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride, the Women's Golf Coaches Association announced Monday.
Recognized as the highest annual coaching honor in women's collegiate golf, the Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year award is presented each year to the top coach in Division I, II, III and NAIA women's golf. Gibbs is one of just 20 Division I coaches nationally selected to this year's watch list.
In 2026, Gibbs led the Waves to their 22nd West Coast Conference (WCC) Championship under her watch, as the program has now reached 27 straight NCAA Regionals. The Waves earned three tournament victories in total this spring, claiming titles at the Fresno State Classic, Yale Invitational West and WCC Championship.
The Waves were not featured in any preseason polls this past fall, before surging to a national ranking of No. 9 by November. Pepperdine maintained a spot top-10 nationally throughout the spring, and finished at No. 9 in the final Differential Rankings released last week.
Pepperdine swept the WCC major awards this past week, with Gibbs earning WCC Coach of the Year for the 17th time while sophomore Eunseo Choi was named WCC Player of the Year with freshman Kylee Choi claiming WCC Freshman of the Year.
Now in her 33rd season at the helm of the Waves, Gibbs was inducted into the Women's Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame in December 2015.
The Waves have advanced to 14 NCAA Championship appearances under Gibbs, highlighted by a national runner-up finish in 2003, along with five top-five finishes and nine top-10 placements. Across NCAA postseason competition, Gibbs has posted an impressive 64% winning percentage in NCAA Regionals (312-173-1) and a 60% mark at the NCAA Championships (196-131-2).
2026 Division I Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride Watch List
• Kim Lewellen – Wake Forest University
• Dan Brooks – Duke University
• Josh Brewer – Eastern Michigan University
• Aimee Neff – University of North Carolina
• Casey Vandamme – Kent State University
• Gerrod Chadwell – Texas A&M University
• Laura Ianello – University of Texas
• Shauna Estes-Taylor – University of Arkansas
• Christie Martens – Iowa State University
• Caroline Westrup – University of Missouri
• Emily Glaser – University of Florida
• Melissa Luellen – Auburn University
• Greg Allen – Vanderbilt University
• Emily Marron – University of Central Florida
• Diana Cantu – University of Tennessee
• Anne Walker – Stanford University
• Justin Silverstein – University of Southern California
• Derek Radley – University of Oregon
• Laurie Gibbs – Pepperdine University
• Alicia Um Holmes – University of California, Los Angeles
Pepperdine secured the No. 2 seed in the Stanford NCAA Regional, as the Waves are set for competition from May 11-13 at Stanford Golf Course.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S GOLF
Pepperdine women's golf has consistently been one of the top collegiate programs in the country under head coach Laurie Gibbs, exemplified by the current streak of 27 straight seasons with an NCAA Regional appearance. Having advanced to the NCAA Championships on 14 of those occasions, the Waves also boast 22 WCC Championships since 1998. Since the year 2000, 15 athletes have garnered All-American honors with a total of 31 selections.
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ABOUT SVN2 INDOOR GOLF
The Pepperdine women's golf 2025-26 season is sponsored by SVN2 Golf. SVN2 Golf is a Southern California based premium indoor golf simulation experience that uses advanced TrackMan technology to provide realistic gameplay, instant swing feedback, and practice tools for golfers of all levels. The facility offers a high-tech, immersive experience with a wide variety of legendary and exclusive courses, a relaxed, self-service environment, and opportunities for leagues and events. Facilities in Newbury Park and Malibu were joined in 2025 by new venues in Woodland Hills and Santa Clarita. For more information, visit www.svn2golf.com.
ABOUT THE WOMEN'S GOLF COACHES ASSOCIATION
The Women's Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women's collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents over 750 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.
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