Coach Bill Eddins will begin his 5th season leading the Lady Pioneers golf program in the fall of 2020 and starts his first year as the Assistant Athletic Director of Club and Recreation Sport. Despite the disappointment of the cancellation of the 2020 spring season due to the coronavirus outbreak, the program took another leap forward last fall. The team shattered 18 and 36 hole school records, (304/615) and top golfer Christina Williams continued to build her Hall of Fame resume by breaking her own school record shooting the program's first-ever under-par round of 68.
The competitiveness of the program is attracting the best talent it ever has. The program is excited to welcome four more outstanding recruits this year. Off the course, the team GPA is as strong as it has been and community service is part of the program. Fundraising remains integral and continues to enable the team to play in the most competitive events in the region. MWG successfully held its second annual benefit auction and grossed over $28,000 this past January. Expectations are high and with the continuity of the coaching staff, the anticipation is off the charts for 2020-2021.
The program has continued to get stronger each year and 2018-19 was no exception. Besides another season of record-breaking performances on the course, Eddins coordinated an auction which raised over $27,000 and fully funded an entire state-of-the-art hitting room renovation which is now exclusive to the women’s program.
Additionally, Eddins' first recruit, Christina Williams, shot Malone’s All-Time low 18-hole score, and became the only Lady Pioneer to ever qualify for the NCAA Division II Super Regionals during the 18-19 campaign.
2017-18 saw the program build on the success of the 16-17 season with a highly anticipated recruiting class that did not disappoint. Eddins has proven to be a tireless recruiter as six more young ladies joined the program in the fall of '18. In just two years, Eddins successfully recruited 10 golfers to be a part of the Malone Women's Golf team.
The 17-18 team started fast and had its best finish ever at the Evann Parker Memorial before a Top-3 finish at the GMAC's Fall Preview. The Lady Pioneers claimed a team championship at the Rossin Memorial in Washington, Pennsylvania, before competing in perhaps the most competitive tournament the program has ever faced when they traveled to Nashville to participate in a "Who's Who of Division II Golf" at the Music City Invite.
In a weather shortened spring season, the ladies had a Top-3 performance at the Mister Bee Intercollegiate before competing in a snowy conference championship in Mason, Ohio where senior Melanie Smith shot a career best 75 for a Top-10 finish and junior Kelli Carroll shot her collegiate best score 83 for the Lady Pioneers. The year culminated with the program being recognized as the nation's most improved Division II team by being named the Mark Laesch Award recipient, an award given to honor the teams that show the biggest scoring improvement from one year to the next.
In 2016-17, Eddins' first year as head coach, the Malone women's golf team experienced tremendous success as the Pioneers finished first, second or third as a team at nine of 10 events, including a runner-up finish at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championships.
Eddins also helped guide the women's basketball team to a Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship in 2016-17 and the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Eddins, who recently completed a 30-year career as a teacher in the Louisville, Lake and West Branch school districts, brought an abundance of coaching experience to his position at Malone. He served as Louisville High School’s head boys basketball coach from 1993-2001, collecting Division II Ohio Boys Basketball Coach of the Year honors in 2001 after leading the Leopards to their first undefeated regular season in school history.
In addition to his teaching experience and time as Louisville’s head boys basketball coach, Eddins has also held numerous other assistant coaching positions at Louisville, Lake, West Branch and Marlington. His accomplished resume also includes positions at the University of Mount Union as a resident director (1990-1995) and at the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a supervisor (2001-2004).
"I feel so blessed and fortunate to be given the opportunity to work as the head women's golf coach at Malone University,” commented Eddins at the time of his hiring. “It became clear to me that Malone is a great fit and a place that is on the move,
Eddins graduated from Perry High School before going on to earn his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Mount Union in 1987 and his master’s degree in Sports Science from Ashland University in 1994. A lengthy list of career honors and achievements includes being named Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (1996), Stark County Schools Person of Character (2007), and a National Honor Society Person of Influence (2016).
The competitiveness of the program is attracting the best talent it ever has. The program is excited to welcome four more outstanding recruits this year. Off the course, the team GPA is as strong as it has been and community service is part of the program. Fundraising remains integral and continues to enable the team to play in the most competitive events in the region. MWG successfully held its second annual benefit auction and grossed over $28,000 this past January. Expectations are high and with the continuity of the coaching staff, the anticipation is off the charts for 2020-2021.
The program has continued to get stronger each year and 2018-19 was no exception. Besides another season of record-breaking performances on the course, Eddins coordinated an auction which raised over $27,000 and fully funded an entire state-of-the-art hitting room renovation which is now exclusive to the women’s program.
Additionally, Eddins' first recruit, Christina Williams, shot Malone’s All-Time low 18-hole score, and became the only Lady Pioneer to ever qualify for the NCAA Division II Super Regionals during the 18-19 campaign.
2017-18 saw the program build on the success of the 16-17 season with a highly anticipated recruiting class that did not disappoint. Eddins has proven to be a tireless recruiter as six more young ladies joined the program in the fall of '18. In just two years, Eddins successfully recruited 10 golfers to be a part of the Malone Women's Golf team.
The 17-18 team started fast and had its best finish ever at the Evann Parker Memorial before a Top-3 finish at the GMAC's Fall Preview. The Lady Pioneers claimed a team championship at the Rossin Memorial in Washington, Pennsylvania, before competing in perhaps the most competitive tournament the program has ever faced when they traveled to Nashville to participate in a "Who's Who of Division II Golf" at the Music City Invite.
In a weather shortened spring season, the ladies had a Top-3 performance at the Mister Bee Intercollegiate before competing in a snowy conference championship in Mason, Ohio where senior Melanie Smith shot a career best 75 for a Top-10 finish and junior Kelli Carroll shot her collegiate best score 83 for the Lady Pioneers. The year culminated with the program being recognized as the nation's most improved Division II team by being named the Mark Laesch Award recipient, an award given to honor the teams that show the biggest scoring improvement from one year to the next.
In 2016-17, Eddins' first year as head coach, the Malone women's golf team experienced tremendous success as the Pioneers finished first, second or third as a team at nine of 10 events, including a runner-up finish at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championships.
Eddins also helped guide the women's basketball team to a Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship in 2016-17 and the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Eddins, who recently completed a 30-year career as a teacher in the Louisville, Lake and West Branch school districts, brought an abundance of coaching experience to his position at Malone. He served as Louisville High School’s head boys basketball coach from 1993-2001, collecting Division II Ohio Boys Basketball Coach of the Year honors in 2001 after leading the Leopards to their first undefeated regular season in school history.
In addition to his teaching experience and time as Louisville’s head boys basketball coach, Eddins has also held numerous other assistant coaching positions at Louisville, Lake, West Branch and Marlington. His accomplished resume also includes positions at the University of Mount Union as a resident director (1990-1995) and at the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a supervisor (2001-2004).
"I feel so blessed and fortunate to be given the opportunity to work as the head women's golf coach at Malone University,” commented Eddins at the time of his hiring. “It became clear to me that Malone is a great fit and a place that is on the move,
Eddins graduated from Perry High School before going on to earn his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Mount Union in 1987 and his master’s degree in Sports Science from Ashland University in 1994. A lengthy list of career honors and achievements includes being named Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (1996), Stark County Schools Person of Character (2007), and a National Honor Society Person of Influence (2016).