Jan Strickland Award presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf Finalists Named

NORMAN, Okla. – Ryan Blagg of Baylor, Clemson’s Jordan Byrd, Keiser’s Debbie Dove, Jean-Paul Hebert of Texas, Auburn’s Corey Maggard, and LSU’s Garrett Runion have been named finalists for the 2017 Jan Strickland Outstanding Assistant Coach Award presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf as selected by the GCAA. The Strickland Award is presented to the NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA or NJCAA assistant coach that, among other things, has excelled in working with their student-athletes both on the course and in the classroom.

Blagg is in his fifth season as an assistant coach for the Baylor men’s golf program. He was a 2016 finalist for the Jan Strickland Award. The Bears has claimed three tournament victories and placed in the top four in all but their first event of the season. Braden Bailey, Cooper Dossey and Matthew Perrine won or tied for medalist honors this season. Baylor led the Big 12 with seven student-athletes on the Academic All-Big 12 Golf Teams, including six first-teamers.

Byrd is in his 12th year as Clemson assistant golf coach. Twice he has been a semifinalist for the Jan Strickland Award. This season the Tigers have tied the school record for wins, including winning a program record five straight. Individually, Doc Redman has won twice this season and Carson Young once.

Dove is in her second year as the assistant men’s and women’s golf coach at Keiser. The Seahawks have three wins this season and have not finished outside the top seven. Dove is also the current Florida State Golf Association Tournament Chairman and Senior Certified Rules Official.

Hebert is in his third season as Texas assistant men’s coach. Prior to this position, Hebert served for three-and-a-half years as the team’s volunteer coach. He was a finalist for teh 2016 Jan Strickland Award. Last year’s NCAA runner-up, Texas has two victories this season while Doug Ghim and Scottie Scheffler have won individually. Two Longhorns earned Academic All-Big 12 honors. Ghim was selected to represent the United States in his second Arnold Palmer Cup.

Maggard is now in his third season at Auburn under head coach Nick Clinard, and his first as Associate Head Coach in 2016-17. He was a semifinalist for the Strickland Award in 2016. The Tigers have four wins this season. Trace Crowe earned medalist honors individually. Senior Matt Gilchrest was named a finalist for the Byron Nelson Award.

Runion is in his fifth season as LSU assistant coach. He was a finalist for the 2016 Strickland Award. LSU has claimed five tournament victories this season. Five LSU golfers have tied for or outright claimed medalist honors this season. Brandon Pierce received the David Toms Overcoming Adversity Award. Sam Burns was selected to represent the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup. Additionally, Runion serves on the GCAA National Advisory Board as the assistant coach representative.

The Strickland Award recipient will have the opportunity to further his professional development by receiving an invitation to the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Kingdom in Carlsbad, Calif.

TaylorMade-adidas Golf has sponsored the Strickland Award since its inception in 2003.