Men's Golf

Hickton Announced as NCAA Division III Dave Williams Coach of the Year Finalist presented by Golf Pride Grips

NORMAN, Okla. -- NCAA Division III finalists for the 2026 Dave Williams Award presented by Golf Pride Grips have been announced by the GCAA. The Williams Award honors the national coach of the year in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, NJCAA Division I, and NJCAA Division II men’s golf.

The five finalists are Steve Conley of Methodist, Jordan Cox of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Keenan Hickton of Sewanee, Dan Rodgers of Carnegie Mellon, and Dave Schreyer of Huntingdon.

In his second season as Head Men’s Golf Coach at Sewanee, Hickton has guided the Tigers to seven top-five finishes, including in all six of their spring tournaments before the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship, and two victories. Ranked second via Scoreboard Powered by Clippd, Sewanee won their second consecutive Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Championship by 13 strokes on April 26 and the season-opening Gate City Invitational by one stroke on September 16. The Tigers have been led on the course by four PING All-Region IV performers, including SAA Rookie of the Year Aidan Tudor. Hickton was named SAA Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.

All five finalists are coaching this week at the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship at Mission Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

About Golf Pride Grips
For over seven decades, we’ve been the global leader in golf grip innovation and technology, from the invention of the slip-on grip to groundbreaking advancements in cord with our new Brushed Cotton Technology (BCT®) to the introduction of the hybrid category of grips. Today, Golf Pride® has laid claim to more major wins than any other grip company. More than 80% of Tour professionals choose to play our grips and not one is paid to do so. And in this age of multi-million dollar endorsement deals, that’s the strongest endorsement of all. So, whether you’re a Tour pro playing a major, a rising amateur, or an everyday golfer, you can rest assured knowing you’re playing the #1 Grip in Golf. To learn more about Golf Pride®, go to golfpride.com.
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