Casey Smith is entering his sixth season as the Women's GolfCoach for Birmingham-Southern. Smith has successfully led thePanthers through the transition from Division I to Division III, ashis teams have won 12 team tournament titles under his directionduring the past five seasons. The Panthers are looking forward tothe 2012-13 season.
The 2011-12 season was a successful year for the Panthers. ThePanthers finished the season ranked 17th nationally in the GolfWorld Coaches Poll. The team had a win in the Huntingdon match,followed by three second-places finishes at the Rhodes Tri-Match,the Chick-fil-a Berry College Fall Invitational, and also at theSCAC Championship. Team members Jennifer Commander, RacheleStruthers, Michelle Morris, and Kaleigh Toole made the All-SCACTeam.
The Panthers also excelled again in the classroom. Commander andStruthers were recognized as National Golf Coaches Association(NGCA) All-American Scholars, and Commander, Struthers, Morris,Marissa Gacek, Jesse Lawley, Katie Skeeles, and Meredith Wollenmanmade the SCAC Academic Honor Roll.
The Panthers finished ranked 11th in the nation by Golfstat in2010-11. The team also claimed one team win at the BSC Tri-Match,as well as runner-up finishes at the Rhodes Collegiate Classic andthe prestigious Jekyll Island Invitational. The season alsoprovided some strong individual play. Freshman Ellen Chun broke theBSC single-round scoring record at the 'Southern Shootout, scoringa 66 at Highland Park Golf Club. Chun was selected to the NGCAAll-East Region Team, and was also named a BSC Co-Female Newcomerof the Year. She finished the year ranked fifth in the nation byGolfstat.
Smith's squad not only excels on the course, but in theclassroom as well. The team had a grade point average of 3.38 forthe 2010-11 academic year. Commander and Toole were selected to theNGCA All-American Scholar Team. This was Commander's secondconsecutive year to make the team. Both of these women, along withMorris, Gacek, and Skeeles, also made the SCAC Academic Honor Roll.Commander was also selected for the SCAC All-SportsmanshipTeam.
The 2009-10 season was also a success for the Panthers both onand off the course. BSC finished the 2009-10 season ranked fifth byGolfstat. The team claimed four team tournament titles, winning theHuntingdon Hawk Invitational, BSC Tri-Match, Rhodes CollegiateClassic, and Sewanee Fall Invitational.
Individually, Ashley Lovell won the Sewanee Fall Invitationaland was selected to the NGCA Honorable Mention All-American Teamand the All-East Region Team. Lovell was named BSC Co-FemaleAthlete of the Year.
Off the course during the 2009-10 season, the Panthers finishedwith a grade point average of 3.1. Commander was selected to theNGCA All-American Scholar Team as well as the SCAC Academic HonorRoll, along with teammates Lovell, Gaukhar Amandossova, Morris, andGacek.
In 2008-09, the Panthers had a school record-breaking season,getting five team wins with victories at the ASU Fall Invitational,BSC Fall Invitational, Rhodes College Classic, BerryCollege-Stonebridge Invitational, and The UWG Invitational.
Individually during the 2008-09 campaign, Jordan Hardy had oneof the most successful seasons for a Panther. She was named the BSCFemale Athlete of the Year, and won the UWG Invitational and wasCo-Champion at the ASU Invitational, where she shared the honorswith teammate Kelley Burgess. Also in 2008-09, Amandossova won theRhodes College Classic.
The Panthers finished with a grade point average of 3.2 in2008-09, and Hardy was selected to the NGCA All-American ScholarTeam for the second year in a row. Hardy, along with BrittanyHenderson, Burgess, Lovell, and Amandossova, were all selected tothe SCAC Academic Honor Roll.
In 2007-08 - Smith's first season at BSC - the Panthers finishedwith a win at the Montevallo Buffalo Wild Wings Invitational. Hardyalso won the event individually. The team notched a grade pointaverage of 3.2, and Hardy was selected to the NGCA All-AmericanScholar Team. Hardy, along with Henderson and Lovell, was alsoselected to the SCAC Academic Honor Roll.
Before coming to Birmingham-Southern, Smith was the Head Girl'sBasketball Coach at Pelham High School from 2005-2007. In hissecond season at Pelham he coached the team to the playoffs with a22-6 record. This was one of the most successful seasons in schoolhistory. Smith also served as the Boy's Golf Coach from 2004-2007,and was an assistant basketball coach from 2003-2005 and anassistant football coach for the 2003 season.
Smith currently teaches Physical Education in the Shelby CountySchool System at Valley Intermediate School. He has taught PhysicalEducation there since 2003.
In addition to his teaching and coaching experience, Smith isemployed by Callaway Golf as a Demo Day Sales Representative. Hehas worked for Callaway Golf since 2005. Smith also had jobs in thegolf business as an assistant golf professional at Anniston CountryClub and at The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Silver Lakes.
The Glencoe, Alabama, native graduated from Jacksonville StateUniversity in 2003, after attending Gadsden State Community Collegefrom 1998-2000, where he played two seasons on the men's golfteam.
