May 28, 2008
NORMAN, Okla. - San Diego State men's golf head coach Ryan Donovan was named the Eaton Golf Pride Division I Coach of the Year for the southwest region as announced Wednesday by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). With his first career award, Donovan is among nine candidates eligible for Eaton Golf Pride National Coach of the Year honors to be chosen by the GCAA following the NCAA Division I Championships this week.
In his fifth year at the helm, Donovan led the Aztecs to a berth in the NCAA finals for the first time since 2005 after a captivating final-round rally at the West Regional Championships on May 17. The regional appearance was the 10th straight for SDSU, which captured three tournament titles during the 2007-08 campaign, including a victory at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational in Fairfax, Calif., where the Aztecs shot the second-lowest 54-hole score in program history with a combined 24-under-par 828. Overall, SDSU has compiled a 155-43-3 record (.779 pct.) in head-to-head competition so far this season and is currently ranked 36th the latest Golfweek/Sagarin poll.
Individually, Donovan coached Aaron Goldberg to one of the program's finest seasons as the Aztec senior notched six top-5 finishes en route to earning MWC Golfer of the Year honors. Matt Hoffenberg, another star in the making, blossomed during his rookie campaign in Donovan's system, becoming the first SDSU golfer to capture MWC Freshman of the Year accolades. Together with Goldberg, Hoffenberg and junior David Palm, the Aztecs had three players named to the all-Mountain West Conference squad for the first time in school history.
San Diego State returns to the links on Thursday with second-round action at the NCAA Championships on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
Eaton Golf Pride Division I Regional Coaches of the Year
New England - Bill Poutre, Hartford
Middle-Atlantic - Greg Nye, Penn State
South - Jamie Green, Charlotte
Southeast - Whit Turnbow, Middle Tennessee State
Midwest - Mike Mayer, Indiana
Central - Mike McGraw, Oklahoma State
South Central - J.T. Higgins, Texas A&M
Southwest - Ryan Donovan, San Diego State
Pacific - Chris Zambri, USC