Building From the Ground Up

A smooth transition
After I graduated from James Madison University, I briefly dipped my toes in the coaching profession before deciding that I wasn’t quite ready to hang up my clubs just yet.

I played on mini tours for about three and a half years and loved every second of it.

I learned so much about myself during that period.

It became an eye-opening experience because after a few years, I wasn’t sure I wanted to still be playing professional golf by the time I was 30.

The thought of packing my bags and leaving home for six to eight weeks and traveling all over the country sounded freeing in a sense, but I also wanted to settle down and have a family.

I loved golf, but I didn’t want the sport to be my entire life.

When I got back from tour, I was living in Virginia Beach at the time and was engaged to my now-husband, Jason.

Just when I was looking for a job that was consistent and would keep me around the game, an assistant coaching position opened up at ODU.

It was the perfect job for me at that point in my life.

Not only was I able to gain some valuable experience coaching both the men’s and women’s teams, they treated me like absolute gold.

The men’s coach, Murray Rudisill, has been one of the most influential mentors I’ve ever had.

We still keep in touch with each other, so to form a lifelong bond and relationship with someone who’s been critical to the success I’ve had in my career has been unbelievably rewarding.

I was fortunate enough to land the women’s head job a few years later, and from a professional and personal perspective, things were coming together nicely in my life.

The players were buying into our system, we were achieving success, and as I mentioned earlier, Jason and I were ready to settle in Virginia Beach and start our family.

Then I got that call from Virginia Tech that would change my life forever.