June 24, 2002
LAS VEGAS - Melissa Arthur-Ringler has been named head coach for the women's golf program at UNLV, athletics director John Robinson announced Monday.
Arthur-Ringler comes to Las Vegas from the University of Minnesota where she served as women's golf head coach since 1999. She led the Golden Gophers to a tournament win and an individual to medalist honors in each of her three years at Minnesota. She also led her squad to a fourth-place finish at the 2001 Big Ten Championship and an appearance at the NCAA Central Regional.
"We are tremendously excited about Melissa accepting our women's golf head coaching position," Robinson said. "We were very impressed with her experience and reputation and feel fortunate that a person of her caliber will lead our program into the future."
Arthur-Ringler was an assistant coach at Washington State University for both the men's and women's golf teams from 1997-99 and served as the interim head coach for both Cougar programs from March-July 1998.
In her five seasons as a collegiate coach, Arthur-Ringler has recruited three Polo Junior Honorable Mention All-Americans and has coached five NGCA Academic All-Americans along with 15 Academic All-Big Ten selections. In addition, the Gopher women's golf program won consecutive team academic awards under her watch, which were given by the women's athletics department to honor the team with the highest yearly grade point average.
"We are thrilled to have hired someone who is experienced at the head coaching level with a Big Ten program," UNLV associate athletics director/senior woman administrator Lisa Kelleher said. "We had great references on Melissa from nationally prominent coaches that spoke very highly of her coaching and teaching abilities."
"I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity," Arthur-Ringler said. "I believe UNLV is a place where women's golf can excel. The men's program has proven that. Kelly (Hester), Jill (Faircloth), UNLV and the Las Vegas community have done an outstanding job of laying the foundation for this program. I can't wait to get started and begin to lead this program into the future."
A 1995 graduate of Iowa State University, Arthur-Ringler was one of the most decorated golfers in Cyclone history. She was a two-time All-Big Eight Conference selection during her junior and senior years and ISU won its first-ever Big Eight Conference golf championship her sophomore season. She played in every tournament during her entire collegiate career, becoming the first Cyclone to do so.
During her senior year, Arthur-Ringler served as captain, earned team MVP honors, was named a preseason honorable mention All-American by GolfWeek Magazine and earned first team All-Midwest District accolades.
After her collegiate career, the Bloomington, Ind., native spent a year on the Futures Tour and participated in LPGA qualifying school. The following year, she served as the assistant golf professional at Eagle Pointe Golf & Tennis Resort in Bloomington, while also serving as a local high school boys' golf coach.
She was selected as the athlete of the century in Monroe County by readers of the Bloomington Herald Times and was inducted into the Bloomington City Golf Hall of Fame in 1997.
Arthur-Ringler replaces Kelley Hester, who left UNLV to become the head women's golf coach at Arkansas.
