Jeanne Sutherland

Sutherland's Coaching Experience

• Nebraska Head Coach (2022-present)
• Nebraska Associate Head Coach (2021-22)
• Head Coach, SMU (2011-21, 10 Seasons)
• Head Coach, Texas A&M (1992-2007, 15 Seasons)

Honors & Awards

• WGCA Kim Evans Award (2018)
• WGCA Founders Award (2017)
• PGA Class A Professional
• NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year (Texas A&M, 2007)
• NCAA West District Coach of the Year (Texas A&M, 1997)
• Four-Time Conference Coach of the Year
  (Big 12, 1997, 2006, 2007; Southwest Conference, 1995)
• Led 19 Teams to NCAA Regional Appearances (Nebraska, 2023)
• Coached Four Teams to NCAA Championship Appearances (Texas A&M, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006) 
• Big 12 Conference Championship Teams (Texas A&M, 1998, 2006, 2007)
• Coached Three Individual All-Americans
• Coached Five Individual Conference Champions
• Coached Three Conference Players of the Year

A long-time collegiate head coach with a growing track record of national success, Jeanne Sutherland led Nebraska to an NCAA Regional appearance in her first season as the Husker head coach in 2022-23. It marked the 19th team that Sutherland had guided to an NCAA Division I Regional berth.

Sutherland, who was named Nebraska's head coach on May 5, 2022, joined the Nebraska program as associate head coach on July 1, 2021.She came to Nebraska after spending 10 seasons (2011-2021) as the head coach at SMU. She also spent 15 seasons as the head coach at Texas A&M (1992-2007).

In 2022-23, Sutherland helped the Huskers shatter the school scoring record with a 292.21 over 38.5 rounds, surpassing the previous mark of 298.77 set in her lone season as associate head coach in 2021-22 by 6.56 strokes per round.

Sutherland helped guide freshman Kelli Ann Strand to the best individual season stroke average (72.05) in Nebraska history on Strand's way to All-Big Ten honors. Additionally, Miu Takahashi set the Nebraska sophomore stroke average record (73.49) while Lindsey Thiele (2nd, 74.88) and Michaela Vavrova (5th, 75.80) produced two of the top-five stroke averages by juniors in Husker history.

Graduate student Megan Whittaker also closed her career by competing in her second NCAA Regional and her fourth Big Ten Championship. Whittaker produced the No. 3 stroke average by a senior in school history (73.48) trailing only All-American and 2021 Big Ten Champion Kate Smith's 72.18 (2019-20) and 72.86 in (2020-21).

In 2018, Sutherland also was named the inaugural winner of the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Kim Evans Award, which is presented annually to the college or high school coach, and Class A PGA Professional, whose support of the game through teaching, coaching and involvement in the community has helped ensure the continued growth of golf, and who represents the finest qualities the sport has to offer. Sutherland also earned the WGCA Founders Award in 2017.

In 2016-17, Sutherland led SMU to its fifth consecutive NCAA Regional berth after producing a runner-up finish at the American Athletic Conference Championship. She also guided the Mustangs to the highest ranking in program history at No. 20 nationally. Three Mustang golfers earned All-AAC honors in 2017.

SMU made an NCAA Regional trip in 2015-16 after producing three All-AAC golfers, including AAC Freshman of the Year Brigitte Dunne. Although SMU’s streak of five straight NCAA Regional appearances ended in 2016-17, Dunne advanced to regional play as an individual in both 2017-18 and 2018-19. She was joined in NCAA Regional play in 2017-18 by Mustang teammate Faith Summers. 

Sutherland guided the Mustangs to a 10th-place NCAA Regional finish in St. George, Utah in 2014-15, the second-best regional showing in program history. In SMU’s first season in the American Athletic Conference (2013-14), Sutherland coached Jenny Hagland to the league’s individual championship, before leading the Mustangs to an NCAA Regional berth in San Antonio. In 2012-13, Sutherland began a streak of taking five straight SMU teams to NCAA Regional play, as the Mustangs earned a spot at the Norman Regional.

Prior to her long stay as SMU’s head coach, Sutherland spent 15 successful seasons at Texas A&M (1992-2007). A four-time conference coach of the year in Aggieland (3 Big 12, 1 Southwest Conference), Sutherland was also a two-time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year (1997, 2007). She led 13 Texas A&M teams to NCAA Regional play in her 15 years in College Station.

Before Sutherland’s arrival at A&M, the Aggies had not won a tournament in seven years, but once she took the reins, Texas A&M captured 13 tournament crowns and three Big 12 Conference titles. In addition to the team’s success, Sutherland’s players earned three All-America honors, four individual conference titles, 22 regular-season individual titles, 25 all-conference accolades, three conference player-of-the-year awards, two newcomer-of-the-year honors, 17 WGCA Scholastic All-America honors and 50 academic all-conference selections.

Sutherland’s Texas A&M teams were perennially ranked in the national top 25, including a highest national ranking of No. 14. She led the Aggies to four NCAA Championship appearances, taking 17th in 1997, 19th in 2006, 22nd in 2005, and 23rd in 2004.

Following her time with the Aggies, Sutherland stepped away from college golf for four years (2007-11) to serve as the Head Professional at the Vail Golf Club in Colorado. She had previously served as an Assistant Golf Professional at Vail for seven years (1985-92).

A PGA and WGCA member, Sutherland also has strong Midwestern ties. She earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education (English) from Northern Iowa in 1983, before earning her master’s degree in athletic administration from Iowa in 1989.

A member of the University of Northern Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame, Sutherland was named to the 1981 AIAW Division II All-America Team and the 1981 and 1982 AIAW All-Region 6 teams. As a sophomore at the 1981 AIAW Division II National Championships, she grabbed a third-place individual finish and led the Panthers to a third-place team finish. As a junior, she led UNI to a fifth-place national finish, which included her 13th-place individual performance. A native of Dubuque, she is also a member of the Dubuque Senior High School Athletic Hall of Fame.