The University of Saint Mary Adds Men's and Women's Golf Programs

LEAVENWORTH, KAN.- The University of Saint Mary is proud to announce the addition of men's and women's golf as varsity athletic programs. Competition for both teams is set to begin during the following 2025-26 academic year, and Andy Kelley has been named as the first head coach to lead both teams.

"I am very excited to be starting the golf programs here at Saint Mary," Kelley said. "Golf has always been a passion of mine, and being able to build on that passion while adding to the athletics department here at USM is a blessing. This is a great opportunity to establish something new and unique."

Kelley brings a wealth of experience from his collegiate golfing career at Baker University, as well as his prior coaching experience in both golf and basketball. "I've been heavily involved in both basketball and golf at the collegiate level, and I look forward to building relationships and impacting student-athletes here at USM," Kelley added. "When you start a program, that first recruiting class is crucial for establishing the culture. We're looking for student-athletes who embrace the challenge of starting something from scratch and take pride in making it their own."

USM Vice President of Athletics Rob Miller emphasized the importance of adding new programs to the university's growing athletics department. "We are committed to increasing opportunities for students to participate in collegiate athletics. Adding golf reflects our mission to help students realize their God-given potential while furthering their education and professional development," Miller said.

The Spires' golf teams will compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC), and the addition of these programs increases the university's total varsity offerings to 28. Coach Kelley looks forward to building something special. "This is an excellent opportunity to create something from the ground up. We're excited for what the future holds," Kelley concluded.

For more information and to fill out a recruiting form, visit https://stmary.edu/golf. To learn more about USM athletics, visit www.GoSpires.com.

The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of Saint Mary main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM-Johnson County, at 11221 Roe Ave., offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edufor more information.