Rachel Pollock begins her third season at the helm of ULM women's golf in 2023-24.
In just her second season as head coach, Pollock placed ULM on the national map, leading the program to its first-ever appearance as a team in the NCAA Women’s Golf Regional as an automatic qualifier.
The Warhawks earned a spot in the field after claiming its first Sun Belt Conference Women’s Golf Championship in program history on April 18 by defeating Texas State by two strokes on the second playoff hole in Daytona Beach, Florida. ULM and Texas State completed the 54-hole tournament tied at 16-over-par 880.
2022-23 has been defined by a series of firsts in program history as well as consistent, record-breaking performances on the golf course. Thanks to its Sun Belt Conference Championship, ULM vaulted 15 places in the Golfstat rankings of NCAA Division I women’s teams to No. 72 – its highest position in program history. The Warhawks moved inside Golfstat’s Top 100 for the first time in early March.
Under Pollock, ULM has played as well as any team down the stretch, winning four of its last five tournaments while posting a 52-1-1 record in its last 54 head-to-head stroke play against NCAA Division I opponents. The Warhawks started the stretch by winning the team title at the GCU Invitational at 13 strokes, finishing at 19-under 845. After placing second in the HCU Husky Invitational, ULM has reeled off three consecutive tournament titles: Bama Beach Bash, ULM Invitational and Sun Belt Conference Championship.
Overall, the Warhawks have won a program single-season record five tournaments in 2022-23, with its first title coming at The Judson last November. ULM broke the previous record of four tournament wins set by the 2013-14 team.
In addition, the 2022-23 Warhawks have literally rewritten the record book, breaking more than 20 combined individual and team records, including the lowest team scoring average per round (292.58) as well as the four lowest rounds and four lowest 54-hole scores in program history.
Pollock took over the head women’s golf coach position at ULM in August 2021.
In her first season leading ULM women’s golf, the Warhawks finished the season ranked No. 141 nationally by GolfStat, which is third among programs in the state of Louisiana, trailing only No. 11 LSU and No. 87 Tulane. The Warhawks finished in the Top 5 as a team at five tournaments, including a second-place finish at the Little Rock Golf Classic.
Prior to coming to ULM, Pollock spent four seasons, including the last two as an assistant coach, at Sun Belt Conference rival Arkansas State.
In 2021, she helped the A-State women’s program to four Top-5 finishes, including a win at the Diane Daugherty Invitational at Southern Illinois. Olivia Schmidt picked up five Top-10 finishes, including two third-place finishes. Grayson Gladden and Elise Schultz each finished in the Top 10 twice.
Academically, the Red Wolves placed six golfers on the WGCA All-American Scholars List and compiled a program record 3.973 grade-point average.
Despite a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019-20 campaign was one for the record books with Pollock on the A-State staff. The Red Wolves won three tournament championships, including back-to-back crowns in spring events, the most in a season since winning three in 2001-02. It marked the first time since the 2000-01 season A-State won back-to-back events. Grayson Gladden, Olivia Schmidt and Elise Schultz made up the top three marks in program history for low stroke average.
The Red Wolves also continued their strong efforts in the classroom, placing six players on the WGCA All-American Scholars List, one shy of the program high of seven.
In her four seasons in Jonesboro, Pollock helped the Red Wolves to five tournament titles and 18 Top-5 finishes. A-State set a program record in stroke average in each of her first three seasons, including a program best 296.52 in 2019-20.
She competed for four seasons at East Tennessee State University. She played in all but five events in her collegiate career with the Buccaneers, recording a career-best-three-round total of 5-over-par 221 (74-73-74) at the Fall Invitational hosted by Kennesaw State in 2015. Pollock helped the Buccaneers to two wins and 18 Top-5 finishes in her four seasons.
Pollock graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors while earning her Bachelor of Science degree in physical education with a concentration in exercise science and a minor in coaching from ETSU in 2017.
A native of Guelph, Ontario, she finished 12th on Golf Canada’s 2016-17 Order of Merit and eighth on the 2011-12 Junior Order of Merit. She is bilingual in French and English.
