A two-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Emily Marron has taken the UCF women's golf program to new heights in her 11 years as head coach of the Knights.
Since Marron took control of the program to kick off the 2012-13 season, the Knights have racked up plenty of accolades and accomplishments. In 12 seasons at the helm, the Knights have made nine NCAA Regional appearances and one NCAA National Championship appearance. In conference play under Marron's oversight, UCF has won two conference championships and has finished in the top-two for seven of the 12 seasons. The Knights have also earned four Freshman of the Year awards, four Player of the Year accolades, and Marron has won Coach of the Year twice. Marron has also coached 21 all-conference selections in her time at UCF.
During the 2022-23 season, UCF earned its eighth NCAA Regionals bid in the Marron coaching era as they headed to the Palm Beach Gardens regional after finishing second in the American Athletic Conference Championship. Freshman Pimpisa "Sandwich" Sisutham picked up her first collegiate victory at the Gators Invitational while Tunrada Piddon snagged her fourth win at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. UCF wrapped up its season with a 7th place finish at the Palm Beach Gardens Regional.
The Knights finished third in the American Athletic Conference Championship during the 2021-22 season. Marron and her squad posted two first place finishes at the Evie Odom Invitational and the Brickyard Invitational. The Black and Gold earned an NCAA regional bid to Ann Arbor for the fourth time in six seasons where they were the No. 5 seed. UCF shot 909 across the three-day tournament, finishing in 11th place.
In 2020-21, for the third time in five seasons, the Knights earned an NCAA Regional bid, after finishing fourth in the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Knights top finish of the spring came in the final tournament of the season, winning the Brickyard Invitational. UCF women’s golf earned a pair of conference honors as Tunrada Piddon and Ana Laura Collado were named to the American Athletic Conference All-Conference, each for the first time. UCF entered the NCAA Louisville Regional ranked No. 34, where they shot a +17 across the three round tournament, finishing tied for 8th and missing advancing to the National Championship by two strokes.
Marron's 2019-2020 campaign was cut short two tournaments before the end of the regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of the cancellation, the Knights' top finish came at the Princess Anne Invitational in October, and the Lady Gator Invitational in March, where UCF placed T-4 in each tournament. Tunrada Piddon picked up a pair of tournament victories, also at the Princess Anne Invitational.
The 2018-19 season for Marron and the Knights was one for the record books. The young squad reached the NCAA National Championships for just the second time in program history after qualifying at the NCAA Cle Elum Regional in Washington. Marron led the team to a regional after an impressive finish at The American Championship to earn a ranking of No. 51. The Knights finished runner-up for the second consecutive season and Freshman of the Year Elizabeth Moon nearly finished in first individually.
In 2017-18, Marron led the Knights to a second-place finish in the American Athletic Conference tournament in their final tournament of the 2017-18 season and senior standout Kaeli Jones finished fifth overall in her final Conference championship. Jones also earned all-conference honors for the first time in her career. Marron coached Jones to an NCAA Regional berth in Tallahassee where she finished in the top 50.
The Knights captured the 2017 American Athletic Conference Championship and swept the conference's major awards. Marron was named Coach of the Year, Ashley Holder was named Player of the Year for a third time and Maria Balcazar was named Freshman of the Year. UCF earned an NCAA Regional berth for the fourth time in five years under Marron. The Knights were ranked in the Top 25 for much of the season and finished the season No. 28 in the final Golfweek rankings.
In 2015-16, Marron helped lead then-junior Holder to an NCAA Regional berth. Holder finished as runner-up at the 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship. Holder put together five Top 10 finishes in 10 events during the '15-'16 season. As a team, the Knights recorded two Top 5 finishes.
UCF won the 2015 American Athletic Conference title by eight shots, pulling away from the field down the stretch. Marron also coached Monifa Sealy to medalist honors at the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Knights were ranked in the Top 25 throughout most of the season, including a program-best No. 15 ranking in the preseason. UCF put up five Top 5 finishes in 10 events that season, while Holder took medalist honors at the Landfall Tradition.
Marron's 2014-15 squad brought home American Athletic Conference Player of the Year (Holder) and Freshman of the Year (Laura Sojo) honors to go with Marron's Coach of the Year accolade. In addition, Holder, Sojo and Sealy were also named to the AAC all-conference team.
In 2013-14, Marron led the Knights to a runner-up finish at the AAC Championship. She coached Holder to American Athletic Conference Freshman and Player of the Year honors. She also coached Holder, Fanny Cnops, Kristine Odaiyar and Kaitlyn Price to AAC all-conference honors. The Knights took Top 5 finishes in each of their regular season tournaments, as well.
In her first season at UCF, the Knights racked up eight Top 10 finishes, while finishing third at the Conference USA Championship. She coached Sealy to All-Conference USA Second-Team honors, while assisting Carolin Pinegger to All-CUSA Third-Team accolades.
Prior to her tenure at UCF, Marron spent nine seasons at UNC Greensboro. Under the leadership of Marron, the Spartans finished runner-up in the Southern Conference Tournament in April. She was tabbed coach of the year by the league and coached Cnops, who later transferred to UCF, to Southern Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. Cnops became the second individual under Marron to make an NCAA Regional appearance. While excelling on the links, the Spartans also performed admirably in the classroom.
Prior to working in Greensboro, Marron spent three seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Penn State. While with the Nittany Lions, she was the recruiting coordinator and helped lead the squad to the 2003 NCAA East Regional Tournament. Marron was also involved in fundraising, travel, practice and the team's summer golf camps.
A native of Johnstown, Pa., Marron completed her playing career for Penn State in 1998 after joining the team as a walk-on in 1994. An Academic All-Big Ten honoree, she served as the team's co-captain as a senior. A four-year letterwinner, Marron won the 1997 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship (ECAC) and was a two-time All-ECAC honoree.
Marron graduated from Penn State in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in recreation and park management. Upon graduation, Marron worked for one year as an assistant golf professional at The Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., Phil Mickelson's home course. A Class "A" member of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division, Marron taught at the Peter Kostis/Gary McCord Learning Center at Grayhawk.