University of Tennessee Athletics
Women’s Golf Coach Judi Pavon Receives Contract Extension
June 28, 2018 | Women's Golf
Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer announced Thursday that head women's golf coach Judi Pavon has agreed to a contract extension through June of 2021.
"Judi has done a good job of building and maintaining a program that achieves at a high level across the board," Fulmer said. "Her student-athletes are competitive on the golf course, they excel academically and they have a strong record of service throughout the community. I'm happy to have her build on what has been an impressive 21-year career with our women's golf program."
Tennessee carded six top-10 finishes en route to its 26th consecutive NCAA postseason bid in 2017-18, Pavon's 18th season as head coach. The Lady Vols earned a top-10 seed to the Tallahassee Regional, where sophomore Micheala Williams advanced to the NCAA Championship as an individual.
Last season, the Volunteers notched five top-5 finishes and were led by Williams, who recorded a 74.27 stroke average and nine rounds of par or better.
A majority of the team will be back next season, with only two seniors—Anna Newell and Blakesly Warren—departing, while two newcomers are expected to enroll in the fall. Newell, a Tampa, Florida, native, was named Tennessee's 13th All-American and the 10th under Pavon in 2015.
"I would like to thank (associate AD and golf administrator) Angie Boyd-Keck and Coach Fulmer for their continued support of me and our women's golf program," Pavon said. "I'm excited and optimistic about the future—particularly with the state-of-the-art, new Blackburn-Furrow Clubhouse scheduled to be completed in the coming months. Entering my 22nd season, I'm proud to continue representing the University of Tennessee alongside an incredible staff and each of the outstanding student-athletes in our program."
Over the last 18 seasons, Tennessee's women's golf program has been a force in the Southeastern Conference and on the national level under Pavon. During her career on Rocky Top, the 2006 SEC Coach of the Year has led the Big Orange to 11 NCAA Championship appearances, including four straight berths from 2009-12. The Helena, Montana, native holds the Rocky Top coaching records for head-to-head wins (2,004) and tournament titles (20).
Pavon's charges have also enjoyed individual success both on the golf course and in the classroom. Under Pavon, Vols have been named All-Americans 25 times, garnered All-SEC status on 39 occasions and have flourished in the classroom, bringing home 47 WGCA Academic All-America citations. Pavon put three on the WGCA All-Academic list last year, including Newell and Williams.
During the Pavon era, Tennessee has posted a winning percentage of .500 or better in 16 seasons and earned a program and Tennessee Athletics GPA record of 3.79 in 2017.
In May, the Vols were recognized for academic excellence for the sixth time in the last 10 years by the NCAA. The program earned the coveted Public Recognition Award after scoring in the top 10 percent of its Division I peers in the most recent Academic Progress Rates (APR).
Pavon served as an assistant for the Lady Vols from 1997-2000; she took over the program as the interim head coach for the final two tournaments of the 1999-00 season. After being named head coach in 2000, Pavon led her first team to the NCAA Championships where it finished fifth—the best NCAA finish in Orange and White history.
"Judi has done a good job of building and maintaining a program that achieves at a high level across the board," Fulmer said. "Her student-athletes are competitive on the golf course, they excel academically and they have a strong record of service throughout the community. I'm happy to have her build on what has been an impressive 21-year career with our women's golf program."
Tennessee carded six top-10 finishes en route to its 26th consecutive NCAA postseason bid in 2017-18, Pavon's 18th season as head coach. The Lady Vols earned a top-10 seed to the Tallahassee Regional, where sophomore Micheala Williams advanced to the NCAA Championship as an individual.
Last season, the Volunteers notched five top-5 finishes and were led by Williams, who recorded a 74.27 stroke average and nine rounds of par or better.
A majority of the team will be back next season, with only two seniors—Anna Newell and Blakesly Warren—departing, while two newcomers are expected to enroll in the fall. Newell, a Tampa, Florida, native, was named Tennessee's 13th All-American and the 10th under Pavon in 2015.
"I would like to thank (associate AD and golf administrator) Angie Boyd-Keck and Coach Fulmer for their continued support of me and our women's golf program," Pavon said. "I'm excited and optimistic about the future—particularly with the state-of-the-art, new Blackburn-Furrow Clubhouse scheduled to be completed in the coming months. Entering my 22nd season, I'm proud to continue representing the University of Tennessee alongside an incredible staff and each of the outstanding student-athletes in our program."
Over the last 18 seasons, Tennessee's women's golf program has been a force in the Southeastern Conference and on the national level under Pavon. During her career on Rocky Top, the 2006 SEC Coach of the Year has led the Big Orange to 11 NCAA Championship appearances, including four straight berths from 2009-12. The Helena, Montana, native holds the Rocky Top coaching records for head-to-head wins (2,004) and tournament titles (20).
Pavon's charges have also enjoyed individual success both on the golf course and in the classroom. Under Pavon, Vols have been named All-Americans 25 times, garnered All-SEC status on 39 occasions and have flourished in the classroom, bringing home 47 WGCA Academic All-America citations. Pavon put three on the WGCA All-Academic list last year, including Newell and Williams.
During the Pavon era, Tennessee has posted a winning percentage of .500 or better in 16 seasons and earned a program and Tennessee Athletics GPA record of 3.79 in 2017.
In May, the Vols were recognized for academic excellence for the sixth time in the last 10 years by the NCAA. The program earned the coveted Public Recognition Award after scoring in the top 10 percent of its Division I peers in the most recent Academic Progress Rates (APR).
Pavon served as an assistant for the Lady Vols from 1997-2000; she took over the program as the interim head coach for the final two tournaments of the 1999-00 season. After being named head coach in 2000, Pavon led her first team to the NCAA Championships where it finished fifth—the best NCAA finish in Orange and White history.
Players Mentioned
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WGolf | Diana Cantú Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Round One (10.20.24)
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