Charlotte 49ers name Ryan Ashburn head coach for women’s golf

Ryan Ashburn
Friday, March 12, 2021

Ryan Ashburn is the 49ers' new women's golf head coach. She joins the Charlotte 49ers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she was head coach for three seasons. She also enjoyed a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Baylor University following her start as an assistant at Campbell University.

Charlotte 49ers Athletics Director Mike Hill said, "Ryan Ashburn has quickly built an impressive career as the head coach at UAB and as an assistant at Baylor, one of the nation's elite women's golf programs. She shares our vision to build a nationally competitive, championship-level golf program."

"I would like to thank Mike for the opportunity he has given me," said Ashburn. "Charlotte Golf has been very competitive, and I'm looking forward to continuing that momentum. I've always dreamed of being back in North Carolina where I started my coaching career, and I know how important golf is throughout the state. I love the support, the facilities and the direction the program is headed and am excited about the opportunity."

In her second season with the Blazers, Ashburn led UAB to a pair of tournament titles, the program's first since 2007. That team was led by Tia Teiniketo, whose 72.9 stroke average is the lowest in school history. Teiniketo was named the 2020 Conference USA Most Improved Golfer after cutting three strokes off of her average.

Before taking over for the Blazers, Ashburn spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Baylor where she helped the Bears to three consecutive NCAA Championship appearances. Baylor reached the NCAA match play quarterfinals in 2017.

Dedicated to academic success, Ashburn saw seven of her student-athletes at UAB earn a spot on the 2020 Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, while Karlee Allen, Stephenie Fowler and Caroline Waldrop earned Women's Golf Coaches Association Scholar all-America accolades. 

A four-year letter-winner at Stetson and 2014 team captain, Ashburn graduated in 2014 with a degree in sports management and a minor in marketing. She owns the Hatters' seventh-lowest career stroke average and was twice named to the Atlantic Sun all-Academic Team. She was a four-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Stetson and served as vice president for two years.