ATHENS, Ga. — Erika Brennan, who led the University of South Florida to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Championships for the first time in more than two decades in 2023 and 2024, has been named the head women’s golf coach at the University of Georgia, J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks announced on Tuesday.
“We are excited to welcome Erika to the Georgia family,” Brooks said. “She has done an outstanding job throughout her coaching career, including most recently as the head coach at USF. Not only is Erika a great leader, she brings tremendous positivity and energy to everything she does. She will be an excellent mentor for our student-athletes and an exceptional representative of the University of Georgia women’s golf program.”
Brennan arrives in Athens after spending the past seven seasons as the head at USF. The Bulls earned bids to NCAA Regionals each of the past two seasons, their first consecutive appearances since 2002. In addition, Melanie Green qualified for an NCAA Regional individually in 2022 and became the program’s first All-American since 1999.
“I’m honored to get down to work as the next coach here at the University of Georgia,” Brennan said. “This program has such a storied past, and we’re ready to ensure the rich tradition continues at the highest level. Thank you, Mr. Josh Brooks for trusting me to lead the Dawgs and for bestowing this incredible opportunity. My husband, Brian, along with our daughter Blakely are looking forward to living in the best city in the Southeast as we plug in to Athens. You’ll see us at countless home events throughout the year across all sports. The UGA Women’s Golf Team will be led, first and foremost, with love. Empowered student-athletes who are able to embrace their authenticity and values are cornerstones of our coaching philosophy. From day one, you’ll be able to own your unique brilliance AND unlock your best golf when you commit to the G. Comprehensive excellence is the standard, and our student-athletes will show up to prove that every day. The Georgia fan base is one of the most passionate in the country, and we’re amped to give you yet another reason to stand up and cheer!”
Brennan’s coaching career also includes successful stints as head coach at Southern Miss from 2015-17, an assistant coach at Tennessee from 2013-14 and head coach at Saint Leo from 2008-13.
South Florida won 13 titles under Brennan, with six team victories and seven individual crowns. In Brennan’s first full season in Tampa, USF ascended 74 spots in the national rankings, from No. 154 to No. 80. That progression consistently continued, with the Bulls climbing as high as No. 32 this season.
Brennan led USF to one of the most productive seasons in program history during 2023-24. The Bulls won three tournaments, equaling the second-most in a season in school history. USF also broke its records for team and individual stroke average, with Green’s 69.73 effort leading a team average of 287.30.
USF’s team and individual record books were almost totally rewritten during Brennan’s tenure. In addition to the aforementioned season average marks, her golfers produced the seven best season stroke average records and the three lowest team season averages.
Bulls under Brennan’s tutelage notched the top-10 18-hole and 54-hole scores in school history. Green set both those records last season. She shot 8-under 64 in the second round of the Dale McNamara Invitational and the third round of the Westbrook Invitational and carded 11-under 205 tallies at the Westbrook Invitational and the Mountain View Collegiate.
Brennan’s teams produced all of the top-20 18-hole and 19 of the top-20 54-hole scores in USF history. The low single-round tally, a 17-under 271, closed out the best tournament effort, a 28-under 836, en route to winning the Westbrook Invitational last season.
Individually, Green was named All-American in 2023 and is set to become USF’s first two-time All-American since 1993. She was voted 2024 American Athletic Conference Golfer of the Year and will represent the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup this summer.
South Florida has been equally successful in the classroom during Brennan’s tenure. The Bulls finished with the ninth-best grade point average in the nation during the 2021-22 season and sport a 3.57 GPA over the past five seasons. USF produced 14 WGCA All-American Scholars during Brennan’s first six seasons in Tampa.
Prior to her stint at USF, Brennan spent two seasons at Southern Miss from 2015-17. The Golden Eagles showed dramatic improvement in her first campaign, climbing 111 spots nationally from No. 187 to No. 76. She led Southern Miss to six tournament titles and a third-place finish, with three top-10 individuals, at the 2017 Conference USA Championships.
Brennan arrived in Hattiesburg after spending the 2013-14 at Tennessee, where she helped the Lady Volunteers earn an NCAA Regional bid.
Brennan’s collegiate coaching career began at Saint Leo, a Division II school in Central Florida. She led the Lions to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010, the first of three consecutive NCAA bids. St. Leo also earned top-10 national rankings during 2011, 2012 and 2013, and Brennan was named Saint Leo’s Coach of the Year in 2011.
In addition to her coaching experience, Brennan served as the National Recruiting Coordinator for Dan Tudor Collegiate Strategies from 2014-15, as a certified instructor for the David Leadbetter Golf Academy from 2006-08 and in an operations role for the American Junior Golf Association.
Brennan played golf collegiately as Western Carolina University, where she finished her career ranked among the top 20 in the Southern Conference and No. 9 among WCU’s career scoring average leaders. She was named the Catamounts’ 2005 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, served as the vice president of WCU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council and was a member of the Southern Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
Brennan received her bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from WCU in 2006 and earned a master’s in Management from Warner University.
Brennan and her husband, Brian, have a daughter, Blakely.
About Georgia Women’s Golf
Georgia has long been one of the nation’s premier women’s golf programs. The Bulldogs have captured four national championships – the 2001 team title and three individual winners (Terri Moody in 1981, Cindy Schreyer in 1984 and Vicki Goetze in 1992). Team wise, Georgia has recorded 11 top-5, 21 top-10 and 29 top-20 finishes at the national championships since 1979. Bulldog golfers have combined to earn 63 All-America certificates. Georgia also sports a league-leading 18 SEC Championships in women’s golf – 11 team and eight individuals.
What They’re Saying about Erika Brennan…
Michael Kelly, USF Director of Athletics
“Congratulations to Coach Brennan on this wonderful new opportunity to become the head coach at the University of Georgia. Erika masterfully led our USF Women’s Golf program to great success and did so through faithful dedication to her unique style of positive leadership. We are grateful for her tenure here at the University of South Florida and wish her, Brian and Blakely the best of luck at their new home in Athens.”
Amir Abdur-Rahim, USF men’s basketball head coach and former UGA assistant coach
“I couldn’t be more excited for my friend, Erika Brennan, and her family to be joining such a great community in Athens and the University of Georgia. Erika is an outstanding coach and leader, but most importantly, she is a phenomenal person. In only a year, we developed a special friendship, and I absolutely love her coaching philosophy. Witnessing how she empowers her athletes to lead is so inspiring. Knowing what Erika values in her program and knowing the values that it takes to be committed to the G, there couldn’t be a better partnership between a university and a coach. Go Dawgs!”
Bill McGillis, former Southern Miss Director of Athletics
“What a hire for Josh Brooks and UGA. Erika Brennan is special! She is a proven winner who has built three successful programs at three very different places, and you can expect the Dawgs to compete successfully for both SEC and national championships in the very near future. Coach Brennan is an incredible leader and role model, an unrelenting recruiter and a ferocious competitor. More importantly, though, her ‘care quotient’ is off the charts. Coach Brennan will pour into the women in her program, she will lead with love and their welfare will be at the forefront of every decision she makes. The women on the Georgia roster today, and those who commit to the G in the future, will enjoy a scholar-athlete experience unlike anywhere else in America.”
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