Four Selected for GCAA Hall of Fame Induction
NORMAN, Okla. – The GCAA will induct four coaches - Bruce Brockbank, JT Higgins, Jimmy Stobs and Sandy Terry - in its 2015 Hall of Fame Class. The quartet will be officially honored at the GCAA Hall of Fame Reception and Awards Banquet Monday, Dec. 7 in Las Vegas.
In his 23 years at the helm of the Cougar golf team, Brockbank has led BYU to 44 tournament wins, including five conference titles. He has earned conference coach of the year honors six times. Brockbank has also been named Golf Pride Grips District/Region Coach of the Year four times and led the Cougars to seven trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a fourth place finish in 2005.
He has coached 20 All-Americans at BYU and helped coach 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir as an assistant in 1992. Over the past 23 seasons, his student-athletes have earned 45 all-conference citations. Four have captured conference championship titles and two have been named conference golfer of the year. He has also coached 20 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars.
Brockbank was a member of the GCAA National Advisory Board from 2006-13 and served as the organization’s president from 2010-12. He also served on the GCAA Division I All-America committee for four years and on the GCAA All-America Scholar committee for 11 years. Brockbank has been a member of the NCAA Golf Committee since 2013.
As a member BYU golf team he earned PING Third-Team All-America and Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar accolades his senior season. He also served four seasons as assistant to GCAA Hall of Famer Karl Tucker.
Higgins is in his 15th season at the helm of the Texas A&M golf program after a successful stint at New Mexico. He led the Aggies to a school-record 12 straight NCAA tournaments from 2002-14 and guided the program to its first national championship in 2009. Higgins has been named conference coach of the year in both the Big 12 and Mountain West and is a four-time Golf Pride Grips District/Region Coach of the Year. A total of 30 of his players have earned all-region honors and 17 were selected all-conference.
Texas A&M golfers have earned 12 PING All-America honors under Higgins’ tutelage. His teams have posted the 10 lowest scoring averages in school history and succeeded in the classroom with six Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars and 19 Academic All-Conference honors. Aggies Andrea Pavan and Nacho Elvira represented Europe in the Arnold Palmer Cup while Higgins coached Team USA at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.
Higgins led New Mexico to four NCAA regional and two NCAA Championship appearances. In 2001, he was named Golf Pride Grips District VII Coach of the Year. Higgins UNM teams never finished below fourth at the conference championships and in 1998 won the NCAA West Regional. In 1998 and 2000, the Lobos advanced to the NCAA Championships. Three UNM players earned PING All-America honors under Higgins’ guidance. Four of his players were named Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar and 12 earned academic all-conference honors. UNM’s Wil Collins received the 2001 Ben Hogan Award.
In addition to his success on the golf course, Higgins served on and chaired the GCAA All-America, International Selection, Ben Hogan Award and Jack Nicklaus Award committees. He also serves as a voter on the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches poll and serves as Division I Director-Central on the GCAA National Advisory Board.
Stobs is in his 14th season at the helm of the Barry men’s golf team. His teams have achieved national prominence by winning NCAA Division II National Championships in 2007, 2013 and 2014. Stobs is the only coach in NCAA history in any division to win national championships under the two formats used to crown a champion.
Stobs directed the Buccaneers to the NCAA Championships final for the seventh straight year in 2015. The Bucs won a school-record eight tournaments during in 2013-14, including the last four. Barry golfers have earned PING All-America honors 27 times and 24 all-conference accolades under his leadership, including 2014 Jack Nicklaus Award recipient Adam Svensson. Stobs was twice honored with the Dave Williams National Coach of the Award presented by Golf Pride Grips. He also was named Golf Pride Grips South Region Coach of the Year four times and Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year once.
Also successful in the classroom, 14 Bucs have earned Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar honors. Daniel Stapf was twice named recognized with the prestigious NCAA Elite 89, presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average at the NCAA Championships.
An active member of the GCAA, Stobs serves on the National Advisory Board as Division II Representative at-Large, on the David Toms Overcoming Adversity Award Committee and as a voter on the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll. He also previously served the board as Division II Director and chaired the Division II All-America and Jack Nicklaus Award committees. He has also served on the GCAA International Selection Committee. Stobs was selected as the head coach for the 2008 USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship and in 2015 coached the USA to a fourth place finish at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.
In his 33rd season of coaching, Terry has coached Tyler Junior College since 2001 after beginning his career at Lon Morris College in 1983. Over his career he has claimed two national championships, advanced to the NJCAA National Championships 23 times, produced 47 All-Americans and three NJCAA medalists.
Terry led Lon Morris to four Region XIV championships and nine appearances at the NJCAA National Championships. Seven golfers earned All-America honors. Additionally, Terry’s charges earned All-Region honors 25 times and six claimed individual conference championships and one state title.
Terry has found even greater success at Tyler, leading the Apaches to national championships in 2003 and 2008. He has led Tyler to 10 Region XIV titles and a Texas State Championship in 2006. Under Terry’s direction the Apaches have qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Championship for 14 consecutive seasons. A total of 25 of his Tyler golfers have earned NJCAA All-America honors with an additional 12 PING All-America honorees. Three times his charges have earned medalist honors at NJCAA nationals with two earning the Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award. Additionally, 42 Apaches have earned NJCAA All-Region honors and 10 claimed PING All-Region accolades.
In addition to his duties with the men’s team Terry also coaches Tyler’s women’s squad. Under his direction they have claimed 11 Region XIV championships, advanced to the NJCAA national tournament 14 straight years, produced 14 All-Americans and 12 individual conference champions.
Terry was elected to the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2001 and serves as the NJCAA Men’s Division II Coaches Association Vice-President. He serves as a voting member of the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll and on the GCAA NJCAA Division II West Region Committee.