University of Richmond Athletics
Calle Nielson Named Spider Women’s Golf Coach
06/20/2019 | Women's Golf
RICHMOND, Va. – Calle Nielson, assistant women's golf coach at the University of Virginia for the last five seasons, has been named head coach of University of Richmond's women's golf team, the University announced today. As a player, Nielson was a three-time All-American for the Cavaliers and helped UVA to four consecutive top-15 finishes at the NCAA Championships from 2008 to 2011.
"I am extremely pleased that Calle Nielson will be joining the University of Richmond and leading our women's golf program," Vice President and Director of Athletics John Hardt said. "Her tremendous level of success as both a student-athlete and an assistant coach at the University of Virginia demonstrates her support of the scholar-athlete model, while achieving success at the highest levels. We look forward to Coach Nielson's leadership and the future success for our Spider women's golf program."
During her five years on the Cavaliers staff, Virginia reached the NCAA Tournament four times, including a 14th-place finish this season. In 2015, her first full season as a coach, UVA captured the first Atlantic Coast Conference title in program history, snapping Duke's run of three straight conference titles.
The following season, the Cavaliers repeated as ACC champions and finished fifth in the stroke-play portion of the NCAA Championships. The result was UVA's first top-five finish at the NCAA Championships since placing fourth in 2012, when Nielson served as a substitute coach, her first foray into coaching.
"I want to thank John Hardt and LaRee Sugg for this wonderful opportunity to lead the University of Richmond women's golf program," Nielson said. "I was very impressed with everything that the university had to offer academically and athletically during the interview process and look forward to being part of the Spider community. A special thanks to Ria Scott, Todd Goodale and The University of Virginia for all the knowledge I gained while there the last 13 years as a student-athlete and coach."
Nielson earned All-ACC honors four times during her collegiate career and was named an All-American following her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons (2009-11). She was a three-time individual medalist for the Cavaliers, including a win at the 2010 NCAA Western Regional.
As an amateur, she was named Tennessee Women's Amateur Player of the Year four times, from 2008 to 2011. She qualified for the U.S. Amateur four times (2007, 2009-11) and won the U.S. Women's Southern Amateur in 2011. After turning pro, Nielson joined the LPGA Symetra Tour. From 2012 to 2014, she finished in the top 10 at Symetra Tour events five times, including a fourth-place finish in the 2012 Ladies Titan Tire Challenge.
"Coach Nielson's experiences within the collegiate environment along with her accomplishments as an amateur and professional golfer, equip her with a comprehensive foundation of knowledge that will be needed as the Spiders look to build upon the success of the last few seasons," Deputy Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator LaRee Sugg said. "Her enthusiasm, positivity and genuine love for the game of golf make her a wonderful addition to the Spider family."
Nielson will inherit a Spiders team that has won three of the last four Patriot League Championships and totaled eight tournament wins over the last four seasons.
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"I am extremely pleased that Calle Nielson will be joining the University of Richmond and leading our women's golf program," Vice President and Director of Athletics John Hardt said. "Her tremendous level of success as both a student-athlete and an assistant coach at the University of Virginia demonstrates her support of the scholar-athlete model, while achieving success at the highest levels. We look forward to Coach Nielson's leadership and the future success for our Spider women's golf program."
During her five years on the Cavaliers staff, Virginia reached the NCAA Tournament four times, including a 14th-place finish this season. In 2015, her first full season as a coach, UVA captured the first Atlantic Coast Conference title in program history, snapping Duke's run of three straight conference titles.
The following season, the Cavaliers repeated as ACC champions and finished fifth in the stroke-play portion of the NCAA Championships. The result was UVA's first top-five finish at the NCAA Championships since placing fourth in 2012, when Nielson served as a substitute coach, her first foray into coaching.
"I want to thank John Hardt and LaRee Sugg for this wonderful opportunity to lead the University of Richmond women's golf program," Nielson said. "I was very impressed with everything that the university had to offer academically and athletically during the interview process and look forward to being part of the Spider community. A special thanks to Ria Scott, Todd Goodale and The University of Virginia for all the knowledge I gained while there the last 13 years as a student-athlete and coach."
Nielson earned All-ACC honors four times during her collegiate career and was named an All-American following her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons (2009-11). She was a three-time individual medalist for the Cavaliers, including a win at the 2010 NCAA Western Regional.
As an amateur, she was named Tennessee Women's Amateur Player of the Year four times, from 2008 to 2011. She qualified for the U.S. Amateur four times (2007, 2009-11) and won the U.S. Women's Southern Amateur in 2011. After turning pro, Nielson joined the LPGA Symetra Tour. From 2012 to 2014, she finished in the top 10 at Symetra Tour events five times, including a fourth-place finish in the 2012 Ladies Titan Tire Challenge.
"Coach Nielson's experiences within the collegiate environment along with her accomplishments as an amateur and professional golfer, equip her with a comprehensive foundation of knowledge that will be needed as the Spiders look to build upon the success of the last few seasons," Deputy Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator LaRee Sugg said. "Her enthusiasm, positivity and genuine love for the game of golf make her a wonderful addition to the Spider family."
Nielson will inherit a Spiders team that has won three of the last four Patriot League Championships and totaled eight tournament wins over the last four seasons.
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