Tanner Announces Change in Men's Golf Leadership

COLUMBIA, S.C. – University of South Carolina Director of Athletics Ray Tanner announced a change in leadership with the men’s golf program on Thursday.  Bill McDonald will not return as the Gamecocks’ head coach.

McDonald served as the program’s head coach for the past 18 seasons after being hired in the summer of 2007. Under his direction, he helped lead the team to a program-record 29 tournament wins with 34 individual tournament winners.

A Dalton, Ga., native, he guided Carolina to 15 NCAA Regional appearances, including this season, and seven NCAA Championship appearances, the last in 2019, over the course of 18 seasons. He led the Gamecocks to the program’s only regional title at the 2007 NCAA West Regional in Tempe, Ariz.

In his 18 seasons leading the Garnet and Black, McDonald produced 11 different All-Americans and 21 total All-America honors. There’s also been 19 All-SEC selections under his tutelage. McDonald’s student-athletes excelled in the classroom as well with 38 GCAA All-American Scholars and 126 players named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. In the spring of 2020, the team recorded the highest single semester GPA (3.67) in program history.

McDonald also coached a trio of PGA TOUR players in Mark Anderson (2005-08), Wesley Bryan (2009-12) and Matt NeSmith (2012-16).

Associate head coach Brady Gregor will take over as interim head coach. Gregor served as head coach at High Point for five seasons from 2017-22 before his current tenure with the Gamecocks the past two seasons.

A national search has begun for a new head coach.

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