Tim Baldwin has been the Director of Golf and head men’s golf coach at ULM since 2015. This marks his 35th year as an NCAA Division I Head Coach.
Baldwin has amassed a long list of accomplishments during his tenure in collegiate golf.
He arrived in Monroe in the fall of 2015 and immediately started making things happen. The team was in need of golf facilities and the local support group needed to be re-energized. Within six months, he entered into a cooperative endeavor with the City of Monroe to build a new 27-acre private practice facility for the university’s golf teams on an abandoned city owned golf course. This resulted in a 32,000 square foot tee area, a three-hole loop consisting of par 3, par 4 and par 5 while also developing a state of the art wedge facility. It is conveniently located only 2.5 miles from campus. He also improved relationships with Bayou Desiard Country Club, Calvert Crossing Golf Club and Frenchman’s Bend Golf Club. Their opportunities to practice are better than ever. Baldwin is very appreciative and humble for his program’s privileges.
Most recently, in November 2019 ULM unveiled the new Wally Jones Golf Complex, named after the former NLU golf coach who led the program for 19 years. The on-campus facility includes 5,000 square feet of heated and cooled space consisting of three coaches offices, a meeting/conference room, a men’s and women’s locker room as well as players’ lounge and kitchen area. It also houses 1,000 square feet of indoor training, including a state of the art Trackman studio and simulator as well as SAM Puttlab. A large, natural lighting double garage door opens up to a covered tee area that provides 5 target greens from 50-170 yards. The facility also has a flood lighting system, allowing players the opportunity to continue their practice at night. This $900,000 facility was completed in 5 1/2 months and was funded by private monies from the Monroe community.
Baldwin continues to grow the program by recruiting outstanding student-athletes who understand the importance of their education while also maintaining a high standard on the golf course. ULM is now a formidable opponent and has won nine team championships and three individual championships in short fashion, putting Baldwin at 54 team championships won and 39 individual championships won. Under Baldwin, ULM has compiled a 61% winning percentage against all teams faced over the last five years. Their stroke average of 293.07 has consistently improved each season. ULM Golf has earned a reputation as being very competitive. His teams like the underdog role and believe that on any given day, they are the team to beat.
2018-19 was a special year where the men’s golf team broke numerous records:
-Low 18 hole round team (270, -14)
-Low 36 hole round team (554, -22)
-Low 54 hole round team (844, -20)
-Best team stroke average for the year (289.30)
-Low individual stroke average for the year (71.31)
-Best Golfstat team ranking for the year (84)
-Team won prestigious Old Waverly Intercollegiate shooting -20
-Finished runner-up in Sun Belt Conference
2019-20 was also on its way to being exceptional before being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Late February and March was a hot stretch for the Warhawks with a head-to-head record of 34-1, including winning the prestigious Border Olympics championship, which is the oldest running collegiate event in the country. The following week, the team went toe-to-toe with No. 15 Auburn at the Jason Dufner Tiger Invitational and finished second. During the span, the team climbed 57 spots in the Golfstat rankings. The team had four remaining events on the schedule when the season was canceled by the NCAA. The season was a continuation of growth for senior Guillaume Fanonnel, who ended the season as the top-ranked player in the Sun Belt Conference with a 70.83 stroke average and a No. 77 ranking nationally by Golfstat.
In 2021-22, ULM achieved another Top-100 postseason ranking by GolfStat, finishing at No. 98. It marked the fourth consecutive season and just sixth time in program history that the Warhawks ranked in the Top 100 nationally. ULM once again ranked as the second-best program in Louisiana, trailing only No. 22 LSU.
Baldwin played collegiately at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he served as team captain during his senior year. After graduating in May 1988, he took over as the first full-time head coach at his alma mater in August 1988 at 22 years and 11 months of age. He was one of the youngest head coaches in the country at that time.
While at Southeastern he rewrote the record books. In 27 years, he amassed a winning percentage of 64% against all teams faced and won 45 team championships and 36 individual championships. His teams participated in eight NCAA Regional Championships and went seven more times with individuals that earned a regional at large bid. He coached three NCAA All-Americans and sixteen Academic All-Americans.
In addition, Baldwin produced 68 All-Conference student-athletes including eight Conference Players of the Year, three Conference Freshman of the Year and two Conference Newcomer of the Year selections. There were also 50 All-Louisiana selections, while producing either a Player, Freshman or Newcomer of the Year 22 times. He’s also coached 38 academic All-Conference selections.
In 17 seasons in the Southland Conference, starting in 1998, the Lions won the SLC Championship four times (1998, 2000, 2010, 2013) and finished second three times (2001, 2007, 2014). Baldwin also earned Louisiana Coach of the Year honors eight times and conference Coach of the Year six times.
In 1998, Baldwin was named District 3-South Coach of the Year which included the strongest teams in the country as part of the Southeastern Conference. The Lions won the Southland Conference in their first attempt by a whopping 37 strokes. He later guided his team to the NCAA National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico where the team finished 23rd in the country.
Prior to joining the Southland Conference, Baldwin led SLU to a pair of Trans America Athletic Conference titles in 1992 and 1994, while also claiming two medalists during the same period.
Baldwin has recruiting experience in over 20 different countries and has hosted over 75 intercollegiate and/or fundraising events for his programs.
In addition to his collegiate success, Baldwin earned international recognition in 2000 when he coached the United States to a 13-stroke victory at the World Junior Golf Team Championships in Kobe, Japan. The victory for Team USA was the first since 1997 and the fifth overall since the tournament’s inception in 1992.
Baldwin has been a USGA member since 1988, a member of the Louisiana Golf Association and the Golf Coaches Association of America as well.
Baldwin is married to his wife, Amanda, and is the father of Brienne and Hailey as well as stepdaughter Hannah. He is also the proud grandfather to Brienne’s children: Beau (2) and JC (7 months).
