JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman Vice President for Athletics Matt Pope has announced the promotion of head women's golf coach Suzanne Strudwick.
Strudwick will shed her coaching duties to become Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Internal Operations while continuing to operate as the department's senior women's administrator. Strudwick takes over formally for Eddie Carter July 1st when Carter, the school's long time senior associate AD and compliance officer, officially retires.
"Much like her predecessor Eddie Carter, she is intelligent, humble and a leader in her industry," Vice President for Athletics Matthew Pope said. "She will continue the work as our standard bearer for NCAA compliance, internal operations and sport oversight. Eddie Carter already has large shoes to fill in physical sense. The decision to replace the only NCAA compliance officer that Carson-Newman has known over the last 20 years is one that has weighed heavily on my mind. However, it is with full confidence that we turn to Suzanne to capably fill out Eddie's size 16s."
Strudwick has spent the last eight years as Carson-Newman's head women's golf coach and the last three as the department's Senior Women's Administrator.
In her first season as head women's golf coach in 2013-14, Strudwick guided C-N to the top overall seed in the South Atlantic Conference tournament while sophomore Meridith Hawkins was the league's player of the year with the lowest overall stroke average. They finished tied for third. Her inaugural season saw her named as the co-coach of the year by the league, along with Jurray Surratt of Wingate.
Year two at Mossy Creek for Strudwick brought her first tournament win and her first SAC title. It all happened on the same day. The Eagles were eight back making the turn on the back nine, but a furious charge rallied the Eagles to the 2015 SAC tournament title. Elizabeth England, Danielle Baiunco and Meridith Hawkins all earned All-SAC honors.
In her fourth season, the Eagles won the King Invitational by three strokes over host school King after a commanding performance from Elizabeth England who tied a SAC record final round record of 68 for a 143 total to collect the individual title at the event. In postseason play, the team finished at seventh in the SAC Championship. England was named the SAC Champion, allowing her to continue her season into the NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships South/Southeast Regional where she finished tied for 21st.
Her fifth year at Mossy Creek saw her team come out on top at the King Invitational for a second-straight season with Elizabeth England successfully defending her individual title. As a whole, the team brought in five top-five finishes, including a share of fifth at the South Atlantic Conference tournament. Lone senior Elizabeth England, a four-time All-SAC First Team player, earned her second consecutive berth into the NCAA Division II South Super Regional where she finished in a tie for 23rd.
The 2018-19 campaign for the Eagles came with the second SAC Tournament MVP in Strudwick's six seasons at the helm of the program with freshman Maeve Cummins winning the individual title after being named the program's first SAC Freshman of the Year, helping her to land a spot in the NCAA South Regional Tournament. On the year, C-N notched seven top-three finishes, including a third-straight win at the King Invitational where Cummins also won top medalist honors. England and Maeve Cummins brought home All-SAC honors while Taylor Hayes, Anna Davenport, Matilda Frovenholt and Rachel Watts were named 18Birdies WGCA All-American Scholars. That season, Hayes also became the team and conference's first WGCA Kim Moore Spirit Award winner and was a nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year.
Strudwick was the LPGA's Rookie of the Year in 1993 and owns 57 top 10 finishes in her career. She has more than 1.5 million dollars in career earnings and took home tournament championships at the French Open and the AGF Paris Open.
Over the last few years, she's taken on another passion, teaching golf. Strudwick was an instructor at Fairways and Greens Golf Center in Knoxville, Tenn.
She is a TPI Level 3 certified Junior instructor and Level 2 Golf Coach. Strudwick is well regarded within the golf industry as reaching the highest level of training and coaching and is regularly asked to consult with other PGA Members, course owners on how to improve & increase junior programs.
In 2011, Strudwick was named the Tennessee PGA Junior Teacher of the Year and was named to U.S. Kids Top 50 Kid Teachers. She replicated the U.S. Kids honor in 2012 in addition to being named the PGA Knoxville Junior Leader of the Year.
Strudwick took home the PGA's Richard Eller Growth of the Game award in 2008. That distinction recognizes the golf professional who has excelled in leadership, player development, and promotion of the game of golf to all sectors of players.
Strudwick resides in Knoxville.
Strudwick's departure as head women's golf coach also means that head men's golf coach Randy Wylie will become Director of Golf at Carson-Newman. A search for an associate head women's golf coach has already begun.
Additionally, administrative assistant Sherry Manning will be promoted to administrative assistant and student-athlete data manager.
