July 1, 2011
="" alt="Knight Head" border="0" class="imported"> Read John Denton's Knights Insider | ="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported">Follow us on Twitter | ="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported">Get social with the Knights on Facebook
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Bill Rankin, a former collegiate standout at Michigan, has been named the new UCF men's golf assistant coach, head coach Bryce Wallor announced Friday. Rankin joins the Knights after spending the last two years playing professionally.
Rankin played at Michigan from 2005-09. As a senior, he was co-captain of a squad that recorded the best season in school history, tying for third at the NCAA Championship. A native of Traverse City, Mich., Rankin competed in 44 events as a Wolverine, and registered 21 top-30 finishes.
Before turning pro in 2010, Rankin was ranked as high as No. 114 in the World Amateur Rankings. He played in the 2007 and 2009 U.S. Amateur Championship, advanced to the round of 32 at the 2008 British Amateur and advanced to U.S. Open sectionals in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
"Bill played at an extremely high level. He helped Michigan to some great success," Wallor said. "Throughout the interview process he talked about the image of a university and the pride that occurs when you put on your university jersey. Those are the things we are trying to build here at UCF. Bill is organized and detail-oriented, and those are the things we need here to keep our program moving in the right direction."
Rankin joins a UCF program that has enjoyed great success since Wallor took the helm two years ago. The Knights claimed their third-straight Conference USA Championship title this past spring, and participated in the NCAA Regionals in nearby Ocala. The Knights won three tournament titles in 2010-11, and posted seven total top-five team finishes.
After concluding his college eligibility, Rankin worked as an undergraduate assistant at Michigan in 2009, assisting with practice organization and the management of the Wolverine Intercollegiate.
In 2010, Rankin participated in pre-qualifying and then the first stage of the PGA TOUR Q-School.