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Jay Seawell - Head Coach

Program Highlights Under Jay Seawell

  • 2013 NCAA National Champions
  • 2014 NCAA National Champions
  • 2012 NCAA National Runner-Up
  • 2018 NCAA National Runner-Up
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances - 12
  • All-Americans - 33
  • SEC Championships - 4
  • All-SEC - 48
  • SEC Player of the Year - 4
  • SEC Freshman of the Year - 4
  • SEC Coach of the Year - 4
  • SEC Academic Honor Roll - 118
  • SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll - 26
  • U.S. Amateur Participants - 66
  • U.S. Amateur Winners - 1 (Nick Dunlap, 2023)
  • U.S. Amateur Stroke Play Medalist - 1 (Wilson Furr, 2020)

Jay Seawell Career Highlights

  • 2016 Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame
  • 2014 Dave Williams National Coach of the Year
  • 2013 Finalist for Dave Williams National Coach of the Year
  • 2013 Palmer Cup Head Coach 
  • SEC Coach of the Year (2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)

Former Alabama Golfers Currently Playing on the PGA Tour

  • Wilson Furr
  • Lee Hodges
  • Trey Mullinax
  • Davis Riley
  • Robby Shelton
  • Justin Thomas
  • Michael Thompson

At Alabama (2002-pres.)

  • Was named the men's golf coach on July, 26, 2002
  • Has not only rekindled the proud tradition of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's golf program, but he has entrenched it into the forefront of the nation's elite teams
  • The golf team's success under Seawell has energized the Tide's alumni base and created an excitement for Alabama golf not seen before. 
  • Led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back NCAA Men's Golf National Championships in 2013 and 2014
  • Also guided Alabama to national runner-up finishes in 2012 and 2018
  • Has produced 33 All-Americans included 12 first-teamers alone
  • Inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in 2016
  • Named the Dave Williams National Coach of the Year in 2014 and was a finalist for the honor in 2013
  • A four-time SEC Coach of the Year honoree, earning the recognition in 2008 and 2012-14
  • Captured a total of four Southeastern Conference championships, all of which have come since 2008
  • Has guided his teams to 18 NCAA Regional appearances and 12 NCAA Championship berths – all in the past 20 years
  • His 2012 team reached the NCAA Finals, falling just short to Jordan Spieth and the University of Texas
  • The Tide used that experience to fuel a return trip to the NCAA Finals in 2013 and 2014
  • In 2018, Seawell guided the Tide to the finals once again, falling short of a third national title
  • In all, Alabama has reached the National Championship match in four of the last 10 years the event was held
  • In the classroom, his program boasts over 100 players on the SEC Academic Honor Roll with an additional 26 heading SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll recognition
  • Has seen eight players (16 honors) named to the Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar Team with an additional three golfers (Joseph Sykora, Cory Whitsett and Bobby Wyatt) earn CSC Academic All-America honors
  • Five of the six SEC Golf Scholar-Athletes of the Year in school history have come under Seawell's tenure, with three going to Sykora (2006, 2007, 2008) and two awarded to Whitsett (2013, 2014)
  • The duo of Sykora and Whitsett also were the only UA golfers to earn the prestigious H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award
  • Seawell has coached 15 golfers who have racked up a total of 33 All-American honors during his coaching career with 13 of those coming over a three-year span (four in 2011-12, five in 2012-13 and four more in 2013-14)
  • His golfers at Alabama have been nominated for the sport's highest national awards, including the Ben Hogan Award, the Jack Nicklaus Award, the Fred Haskins Award, the Phil Mickelson Award and the Byron Nelson Award
  • Justin Thomas won the Nicklaus, Haskins and Mickelson awards in 2012
  • Robby Shelton was named the Mickelson award winner in 2014
  • Seawell has coached Alabama to 57 team tournament championships with 44 individual medalists over his 21  years in Tuscaloosa

Back-to-Back National Championships (2013 and 2014)

2013

  • The first of back-to-back NCAA Men's Golf National Championships came on June 2, 2013 on the par 70, 7,319-yard Crabapple Course at the Capitol City Club in Milton, Ga.
  • Alabama's national championship concluded a historic season at the Capstone that saw the Crimson Tide win a then-school record eight times in 12 events and post a 154-15-3 cumulative record
  • Alabama won seven of eight events in the fall, including the final six events. 
  • The Crimson Tide finished tied for third in the stroke-play portion of the NCAA Championships before rolling through three rounds of match play with victories over New Mexico (4-1) in the quarterfinals, Georgia Tech (3-0-2) in the semis and Illinois (4-1) in the championship match
  • It marked the third consecutive postseason tournament won by Alabama, as the Tide captured the 2013 SEC Championship with a two-shot win at the Sea Island Golf Club and the NCAA Regional championship with a victory in Baton Rouge. 
  • Seawell was named the SEC Coach of the Year for the second time in as many years and third overall while also being named a finalist for the Dave Williams Award (national coach of the year). 

2014

  • The Crimson Tide made it back-to-back titles when it defeated Oklahoma State (4-1) on May 28, 2014, on the par 70, 6,941-yard Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan.
  • Alabama finished tied for second in the stroke-play portion of the NCAA Championships before fighting its way three rounds of match play with victories over SMU (3-2) in the quarterfinals, LSU (4-1) in the semifinals and the Cowboys in the finals
  • Alabama also won the school's fifth SEC Championship, third straight and fourth overall under the direction of Seawell, with a 16-shot win at the Sea Island Golf Club
  • The Tide also won its third straight NCAA Regional championship with a victory in Auburn 
  • Alabama's dominant season broke the record for team victories with nine in 12 events during the 2013-14 season, while also setting a school record for winning percentage with a 150-6-2 record for a winning percentage of .956
  • Seawell was named the Dave Williams National Coach of the Year and the SEC Coach of the Year in 2014

At Augusta University (1998-2002)

  • Seawell came to Alabama after spending four years as the head coach at Augusta Augusta University
  • He led the Jaguars to four consecutive NCAA Regional appearances and three trips to the NCAA Championships (2000, 2001, 2002)
  • Seawell's 2001 team finished seventh at the NCAAs before turning in the best finish in school history the following year with a fifth-place showing
  • During his tenure, he coached three All-Americans including two-time All-American Jamie Elson along with All-American and former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson

At Anderson College (1991-96, 1997-98)

  • Prior to being hired at Augusta University, Seawell coaches seven total years across two different stints at Anderson (S.C.) College
  • Led his team to five consecutive Region 10 championships no his way to earning five straight Region Coach of the Year honors
  • After briefly leaving Anderson for another career pursuit, Seawell returned to coach Anderson again in 1997-98 

Personal

  • The Hall of Fame head coach is a 1988 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in hotel and restaurant management
  • Lettered on the Gamecocks' golf team and served as the president of the University's Fellowship of Christian Athletes
  • Seawell and his wife, Stephanie, have three children: Brooke, Jackson and Lauren

Forrest Schultz - Assistant Coach

  • Joined Alabama in July 2023 after spending the previous 10 years as a head coach (Henderson State men's and women's golf head coach, 2013-21 and Troy, 2021-23)
  • Over the previous two seasons at the helm of the Trojans' men's golf program, Schultz has led the program to its best stretch of golf since the mid-1990s
  • In his first season at Troy over a program that finished 21-79 overall a year prior to his arrival, Schultz led Troy to its most wins in five years and second-most wins since 1996 in his first season at the helm (97-53-2)
  • Improved on that in his second season, where he led the team to a 110-45-4 overall mark – the most head-to-head wins in nearly 20 years (1994-95) and most-ever at the Division I level.
  • The Trojans won three straight tournaments for the first time since 2005 during his initial season, and the team twice shot 24-under par under Schultz's watch, which is tied for the program-record in a 54-hole tournament
  • Selected to the Henderson State Hall of Fame in August, 2022
  • Won a combined seven conference championships and reached a total of 14 NCAA Regionals in eight seasons at Henderson State
  • Earned his bachelor's degree in recreation from Henderson State in 2010 and followed with his master's degree in sports administration in 2012
  • Schultz is married to the former Holly Loftin and the couple has two have two children, Ryder and Caroline.