Casey Lubahn Named Michigan State Men's Golf Coach
6/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
June 30, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State Athletics Director Mark Hollis announced today the hiring of Casey Lubahn as the Spartans' head men's golf coach. Lubahn, a former MSU letterwinner and assistant coach, leaves his position as Miami University's head coach to become the 10th head coach in program history.
"We are extremely excited to welcome back Casey to the Spartan golf program," said Hollis. "He has been associated with the past success of the Michigan State golf program, and after a thorough search, we truly believe he is the right person to continue the tradition. Casey and his wife Rachel are great Spartans, who understand and appreciate the history and success of MSU golf. His personality and experience match the edge in which Spartan golf is defined, exuding intensity, focus and mental toughness on and off the course. Casey will be valuable to the entire Athletics Department, working with donors and other support groups throughout the state of Michigan."
"It is hard to describe how excited Rachel and I are to be returning to Michigan State University and the East Lansing community," said Lubahn. "To have the opportunity to lead your alma mater as a head coach is a dream come true. We look forward to building on the strong tradition of MSU and embracing the alumni, staff, supporters, and friends that care so deeply about Spartan golf.
"I want to thank President Lou Anna K. Simon, Athletics Director Mark Hollis, Deputy Athletics Director Greg Ianni and the entire Athletics Department for believing in me and trusting me with stewardship of this special program. We are going to work diligently to ensure that our student-athletes have the opportunities, resources, and structure necessary to achieve at the highest level on and off the golf course."
Lubahn has spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Miami, building the program on a national level. The RedHawks posted three tournament wins (2008 Georgetown Invitational, 2009 Cincinnati Bearcat Invitational and 2010 Louisville Cardinal Collegiate), in addition to five runner-up and 14 top-5 showings in his three seasons at the helm. Individually, two student-athletes collected medalist honors over the last three seasons.
He mentored Nathan Sutherland to one of the most proficient careers in program history. Sutherland qualified as an individual to the NCAA Regionals in 2010 and 2011, the first Miami representative since 2001, while also earning first-team All-Mid-American Conference and PING All-Midwest honors each of the last two seasons. His career stroke average of 73.63 is second on the Miami all-time list, while his senior and junior stroke averages are the second and fourth lowest, respectively.
Lubahn also made an immediate impact on the recruiting trail, signing four top-150 recruits in his first three seasons.
Off the course, Lubahn has been integral in raising funds for his program through a number of initiatives. He raised over $75,000 for facility upgrades, including a new hitting studio, indoor putting center, and office and locker room renovations. In addition, he directed the Friends of Miami Golf Fundraiser, expanding the event in participation and funds raised each year. In turn, his program has led the Miami Athletic Department in percentage of alumni giving in 2010 and 2011.
Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Miami, Lubahn spent three seasons as an assistant coach at MSU, fulfilling the role for the 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2007-08 seasons. During his tenure, he helped lead the Spartans to the 2005 and 2008 Big Ten Championships. His last season at Michigan State, Lubahn was a finalist for the GCAA Jan Strickland Award, which is awarded to the NCAA Division I Assistant Coach of the Year. He also participated in the Golf Channel's reality series, Big Break X: Michigan, in October 2008. During his one season away from MSU, he worked for Morgan Bradley LLC, in its business development and human resources department.
A three-year letterwinner and 2003-04 captain of the Michigan State golf program, Lubahn finished his career with the fifth-lowest career stroke average (75.00) in program history. A native of Sand Lake, Mich., Lubahn earned a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies - law and society from Michigan State in 2004.
