July 9, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF director of athletics and executive vice president Keith Tribble announced on Monday that men's golf head coach Nick Clinard has signed a four-year contract extension that will keep him at the school through the 2010-11 campaign. Clinard is entering his seventh season as the Knights' head coach.
During his tenure at UCF, Clinard has guided the Knights to NCAA Regional appearances on three occasions. This past year, his team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA East Regional. UCF finished the 2006 campaign 39th in the golfstat.com national rankings.
"Coach Clinard has been exceptional in developing our men's golf program into one with national caliber," said Tribble. "Under his leadership, the men's golf team has continually competed for conference championships and participated in NCAA regional tournaments, while his student-athletes have displayed above-average results in the classroom. This extension is further testament to UCF's commitment to fielding a men's golf program worthy of national prominence."
Clinard was instrumental in the creation of the Isleworth-UCF Collegiate Invitational, which has been contested at the Isleworth Country Club in Orlando each fall since 2004. The event is one of the top invitationals in the country and annually features many of the top squads in the nation.
"I want to thank Keith Tribble and the administration for the support that they have shown our program. I am pleased that they believe that the program is heading in the right direction," said Clinard. "We plan to continue to excel and compete for championships."
In 2003 and 2004, Clinard led the Knights to NCAA Regional appearances. Following UCF's 2004 Atlantic Sun Championship title, he was named the league's coach of the year.
Under Clinard's guidance, several UCF players have garnered individual accolades. In 2004, Barry Roof was named the A-Sun Golfer of the Year. After the 2007 Conference USA Championship, Nuno Henriques was selected to the All-C-USA Freshman Team. In 2006, Sonny Nimkhum was named to the All-C-USA First Team and Kyle Davis and Greg Forest both earned all-freshman team recognition.
Clinard's players have shined in the classroom as well. Three of his players have earned Golf Coaches Association of America All-America Scholar honors. This past season, nine Knights were named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for having a grade-point-average of 3.0 or higher. The team combined for a 3.17 GPA, the second-highest among all of UCF's programs.
During his tenure in Orlando, Clinard has attracted some of the top amateur players in the world to UCF. His 2004 recruiting class was ranked first nationally by the Junior Golf Scoreboard.
In addition to his coaching duties, Clinard is also overseeing the construction of UCF's new golf practice facility, which is located just off campus.
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