Longtime C-N women's golf coach, administrator Strudwick takes AD post at Cleveland State

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Cleveland State Community College has announced the hiring of longtime Carson-Newman head women's golf coach, associate athletic director and senior women's administrator Suzanne Strudwick to be the institution's new athletic director. 

Strudwick begins her post Tuesday.  

"We are very proud of Suzanne and the positive impact that she made on our student-athletes, coaches and staff during her time at Carson-Newman, not only as our Associate Athletics Director but also as a Head Women's Golf Coach," Carson-Newman Vice President for Athletics Matt Pope said. "While her leadership and dedication to our department will be missed, we are certainly excited for her as she takes the next step in her professional career as the Athletics Director at Cleveland State Community College." 

Announcements for Carson-Newman's new compliance officer and SWA will arrive in the coming days. 

Strudwick was Carson-Newman's second-ever compliance officer, taking over for Hall of Famer Eddie Carter on July 1, 2021.   She held the post of Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Internal Operations for the last four years. She has been Carson-Newman's second-ever Senior Women's Administrator for the last eight years after succeeding hall of famer Vickee Kazee-Hollifield.  She spent eight seasons at the helm of the women's golf program before moving into administration in 2021.  

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.

The Eagles followed up their championship season with a year in which they finished second in the league. At the conference championships, three of Strudwick's student-athletes posted top ten scores. The coach capped off the season being named conference coach of the year for the second time.

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. Cummins 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. 

The seventh season at the helm of the program saw two players land All-SAC laurels with Maeve Cummins on the second team and Rachel Watts as an Honorable Mention. C-N was ranked as high as No. 24 in the nation in the WGCA poll this season with top five finishes, three of those in the top three. The team's best finish came with a second-place showing at the Music City Invitational in mid-October with a 597 (+21). That finish came with a 296 in the final round, marking the lowest a C-N group has shot for since carding a 292 at the Sunoco Campbell Oil Classic on March 25, 2019.

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing the group to forego the fall schedule, C-N went through the spring 2021 campaign with four top five finishes, including a season-opening win at the Battle at Hilton Head. There, eventual All-SAC Honorable Mention Ellie Haughton finished in a tie for second. The Eagles were ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation, the best ranking in program history. Matilda Frövenholt, Hannal Holland and Alice Thomas were all tabbed WGCA All-American Scholars to put a cap on the campaign.

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.  Most recently, 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.