Jan. 8, 2001
LAS VEGAS -
Kelley Hester has been hired as the head coach for the new women's golf program at UNLV, the athletics department announced Monday.
Hester comes to Las Vegas from the University of Georgia where she was an assistant coach with its women's golf team. On February 1 she begins leading the program, which starts intercollegiate competition in Fall 2001.
Hester has been at Georgia as assistant coach since February of 1999. After competing professionally on the Futures Tour in 1996 and '97, Hester was named head women's golf coach at Mercer University in her hometown of Macon, Ga., in 1998. She also served as assistant golf professional at Idle Hour Club in Macon from 1997-99. She is a member of the LPGA's Teaching and Club Professionals Division.
"The university is excited to start this new program," UNLV Director of Athletics Charles Cavagnaro said. "Kelley has been involved with a very prestigious program at Georgia and has the abilities and leadership needed to guide our program. We are excited to have her."
Hester was a three-time All-Southeastern Conference and two-time Academic All-America selection during her playing days at Georgia. A four-year letterwinner for the Lady Bulldogs from 1993-96, she earned her degree in public relations from Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1995.
"We are extremely fortunate to hire someone so qualified to lead this program," UNLV Associate Athletics Director Lisa Kelleher said. "She was an excellent student-athlete on and off the golf course, played professionally and brings both assistant and head-coaching experience. She is well-schooled in the profession, comes from a nationally respected women's golf program and has a personality that the community will embrace. Kelley is looking forward to the challenge of building a solid foundation for this program."
Hester played in 40 events during her four years of collegiate competition, posting four top-10 and 21 top-20 finishes. She was a member of Lady Bulldog teams which won SEC Championships in both 1993 and '94 and finished fourth at the 1993 NCAA Championships.
"I am thrilled about the opportunity to start this program and continue the tradition that the UNLV men's program has built," Hester said. "I look forward to meeting and working with active members of the Las Vegas golf community. My husband and I are very excited to come to Las Vegas and hopefully it will only be a matter of time before the women's team is successful and one of the top programs in the country."
