Jeanne Sutherland (1997) - Hall of Fame

Jeanne Sutherland

Induction:
1997
Class:
1983

On the course, Jeanne Sutherland ruled the greens for the University of Northern Iowa for 1979 to 1983.

Sutherland was named to the 1981 AIAW Division II All-America Team and the 1981 and 1982 AIAW all-Region 6 teams. At the 1981 AIAW Division II National Golf Championships, her sophomore year, she grabbed a third-place individual finish and led the UNI golf team to third place. As a junior, she led the team to fifth place nationally, and ended her own effort with a 13th-place individual finish. She was also named to the dean's list in 1982, and earned her bachelor's degree in English teaching with a minor in coaching from UNI in 1983.

The competitive drive and confident spirit that she honed on the UNI golf course during her time as a student-athlete was then instilled in her own players competing in Big 12 Conference golf. Sutherland became the head women's golf coach at Texas A&M University, only the second coach in the history of A&M's women's programs. Prior to Sutherland's arrival, the Aggies had not won a tournament in seven years, and had not turned in a sub-300 round in six years. By midseason of her first year, the team captured the title of the Utah-Dixie Classic, and by the third tournament of the fall, carding a 299. During her tenure in College Station, she was named the 1995 Southwest Conference Coach of the Year, 1997 NCAA District Coach of the Year (West), and the 1997 Big 12 Coach of the Year.

At the time of her induction, her teams had qualified for the NCAA regionals five times. Also, the Aggies qualified for the 1997 NCAA Championships, finishing 17th in their first appearance since 1985. Among her players, Jamie Hullett was the first player to be named a second team all-American at Texas A&M since 1983. Sutherland was a golf professional at Vail Golf Course in Vail, Colo., from 1985-1992. She also was a PGA Class "A" Professional, and was a teaching professional for the John Jacobs Golf Schools from 1991 to 1992, the program she credits with making her a skilled teacher of all facets of the game. She served as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Iowa from 1987 to 1989 while earning her master's degree in physical education and athletic administration.