New GCAA National Advisory Board Members Take Office

NORMAN, Okla. – New members of the GCAA National Advisory Board (NAB) have taken office for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. The NAB is composed of 17 coaches from NCAA Divisions I, III and III as well as the NAIA and NJCAA. Additionally, five non-coaches serve on the NAB in an ex-officio capacity.

Todd Satterfield of Furman ascends to the GCAA presidency. Satterfield has been head coach at Furman since the 1996-97 season and previously served as GCAA First, Second and Third Vice-President. He serves on the Carolina’s Golf Association Executive Board. He previously served as a consulting member of the USGA Rules of Golf Committee and as a member of the Amateur Public Links Committee.

Second Vice-President Mark Hankins is in his sixth season at Iowa. He previously served as GCAA Third Vice-President and Division I Director-Central. Hankins began his coaching career during the 1997-98 season and has had stints at UTA and Michigan State. He also serves at Iowa as an assistant athletic director.

Conrad Ray of Stanford has moved to Second Vice-President. Ray previously served as GCAA Third Vice-President, Division I Director-West and a member of the International Selection Committee. In his eighth season at Stanford, Ray coached the 2008 U.S. Palmer Cup team and was the 2007 recipient of the Dave Williams Award presented by Eaton Golf Pride as national coach of the year.

North Carolina’s Andrew Sapp begins his first term on the NAB as Third Vice-President. Sapp has served stints on the GCAA All-America, Nicklaus Award and Coach of the Year Committees. He is in his second year at North Carolina after coaching nine years at Michigan.

Bruce Brockbank will serve as immediate past president. He previously served as GCAA President, First and Second Vice-President and was long-time chair of the All-America Scholar Committee. Brockbank has coached at BYU since 1992.

Bruce Heppler of Georgia Tech continues as the GCAA Treasurer, a post he has held since 2006.  Heppler coached the 2003 U.S. Palmer Cup team and was the 2002 recipient of the Dave Williams Award presented by Eaton Golf Pride. He has coached Georgia Tech since the 1995-96 season.

Denver’s Eric Hoos will continue to serve as Division I Representative at-Large. He previously served three years as chair of the GCAA Coach of the Year and International Coach Selection Committees. Hoos has coached Denver since 1999.

Steve Card of Western Washington will continue to serve as Division II Representative at-Large. Previously Card served as GCAA Division II Director, All-America, International Selection and West Region Committees. He also served as National Chair for the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Committee. Card is in his 19th season as golf coach at 22nd as Associate Director of Athletics for Business and Financial Affairs at Western Washington.

Bob Alpers of Saint John’s University in Minnesota will continue to serve as Division III Representative At-Large. He previously served on the GCAA Division III All-America and Central Region Committees. Alpers was inducted into the GCAA Hall of Fame in 2010 and is a two-time recipient of the Dave Williams Award presented by Eaton Golf Pride as national coach of the year. He is in his 20th season as golf coach at Saint John’s and also serves as assistant athletic director and intramurals director.

Jeff Griebel of St. Ambrose will serve an additional year as NAIA Representative at-Large. Griebel has also served on the GCAA NAIA Awards Committees on both the regional and national level. He is serving the first year of the unexpired NAIA Representative at-Large term before a special election in December to fulfill the final three years.

Mississippi Gulf Coast’s Tommy Snell has been elected to the post of NJCAA Representative at-Large. He has previously served on GCAA NJCAA Division II Awards Committee and the NJCAA Nicklaus Award Committee. Snell has served on multiple USGA committees and as a Rules official for USGA events and the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships. A 2008 recipient of the Dave Williams Award presented by Eaton Golf Pride, he has coached Mississippi Gulf Coast since 2001.

Bill McDonald of South Carolina was elected to serve as Division I Director-East. McDonald also serves as a voting member of the Golf World/Nike Golf Coaches Poll.

Texas Tech’s Greg Sands was elected to serve as Division I Director-Central. Sands previously served as chair of the GCAA Coach of the Year and International Coach Selection Committees. He has coached Texas Tech since 2001.

Matt Thurmond of Washington was elected to serve as Division I Director-West. He previously served chair of the GCAA All-America and International Selection Committees. Thurmond coached the 2009 U.S. Palmer Cup team. He has coached at Washington since 2001.

Brent Nicoson of Indianapolis was elected to serve as Division II Director. Nicoson previously served on the Division II Great Lakes Region Committee. He has coached the men’s team at Indianapolis since the 2006-07 season and was named women’s coach in May 2011.

Manhattanville’s Nikhil Kumar was elected to serve as Division III Director. Kumar previously served on the Division III Mid-Atlantic Region Committee and assisted in operations at the 2011 Palmer Cup. He is in his eighth season as coach at Manhattanville.

Retired PGA CEO Jim Awtrey continues his position the NAB’s Representative at-Large. Awtrey also serves as chairman of the Palmer Cup.
The NAB’s four ex-officio members are legal counsel Tracy Richardson, CPA Bill Osborn, NCAA Liaison Donnie Wagner and Legislative Advisor Stephen Clar.