June 21, 2009

AUBURN - Eight-year head coaching veteran Nick Clinard, who led the University of Central Florida to a top 10 finish in the 2009 NCAA Championship, has been named head men's golf coach at Auburn University, Athletics Director Jay Jacobs announced Sunday.

Clinard led UCF to NCAA Regional play in five of the last six seasons, including 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and the Knights have won six tournament titles in the past two seasons. Clinard has nine tournament victories including two conference championships, coached one All-American, four Academic All-Americans, two conference players of the year, three individual conference champions and eight all-conference selections at UCF.

UCF won the NCAA Southeast Regional title by defeating No. 2 Georgia and No. 13 South Carolina this past year along with claiming the school's first Conference USA Championship. The Knights also won The Hummingbird Intercollegiate and the Rio Pinar Invitational as Clinard was named Conference USA Coach of the Year and the NCAA Southeast Regional Coach of the Year.

"Nick Clinard brings a tremendous amount of head coaching experience as well as success both athletically and academically that will enhance the Auburn men's golf program," said Jacobs. "Nick is regarded as one of the nation's top recruiters and shows a relentless work ethic. I am very excited about the direction that Nick will bring to our golf team."

"I would like to thank the selection committee for all of their efforts in doing their due diligence for Auburn."

Last season, Clinard coached a PING All-America second team selection who was also named to the Golf Coaches Association of America National five-man All-Freshman team and garnered Conference USA Golfer of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.

Clinard's 2008-09 team also featured a pair of first-team All-Conference USA selections, two second-team All-Conference USA members and two GCCA All-South Region team picks.

In 2007-08, Clinard coached two All-Conference USA first-team selections, the C-USA Newcomer of the Year, four C-USA Players of the Week and David Johnson, the Florida State Amateur Player of the Year.

After Clinard inherited a UCF program that was ranked 147th in July 2001, his 2004 recruiting class was rated as the best in the nation by Junior Golf Scoreboard. He signed two of the top 16 players nationally in 2007, the two-time Florida State Junior Champion and the 2006 Florida State Golf Association Player of the Year in 2008 and three top 50 players nationally in 2009.

"It is a privilege to be the next head men's golf coach at Auburn University," said Clinard. "Building on Coach (Mike) Griffin's legacy is an honor and something I am very excited about. I welcome all the former players and supporters to become heavily involved in Auburn Golf as we are going to compete and win championships with quality student-athletes."

"I appreciate Mr. Jacobs' trust in me to lead Auburn Men's Golf in the future and anxiously look forward to the opportunity."

In the Knights' four years in C-USA, UCF men*s golfers were named to the league's academic honor roll on 33 occasions.

Clinard won Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year honors as his UCF team won the 2004 A-Sun Conference Championship. A pair of Knights won back-to-back medalist honors at the A-Sun Conference Championship with Stefan Wistorf in 2003 and Barry Roof in 2004.

"We are excited about the caliber of experience that Nick Clinard has to lead Auburn golf to SEC Championships and NCAA Championships," said Bob Dumas, selection committee member and former All-SEC golfer and captain of Auburn's first SEC Championship team in 1976.

"Having played at all levels and being a successful coach, Nick brings excellent head coaching experience and a high academic background. He has portrayed a strong work ethic, the ability to win championships and to promote Auburn golf throughout the country. I am excited about Nick Clinard heading up the Auburn men's golf program."

Clinard played professional golf for five seasons from 1996-2001 on the NGA Hooters Tour as well as several Nike Tour and Canadian Tour events prior to becoming head coach of UCF.

He was also the assistant tournament director of the Jim McLean Future Collegians World Tour from 1998-2001 and worked as an assistant golf professional at the Hank Haney Golf Ranch in McKinney, Texas, from 1997-2000.

The Gastonia, N.C., native graduated from Wake Forest University in 1995 with a Bachelor's degree in speech communication. He played one year of collegiate golf at SMU before playing his final three years at Wake Forest from 1992-95, where the Demon Deacons were ranked in the top 10 in the nation all three seasons.

Clinard is married to the former Susan Roberts, and they have two daughters, Chloe and Peyton.