Kyle Blaser, head men’s golf coach, resigned from the university after being inducted into the OCU Athletics Hall of Fame and denying that he was leaving.
Blaser is leaving OCU after more than two decades to take a job in the private business sector, according to an email from athletics. The email was sent Saturday, the same night Blaser was inducted into the university’s athletics hall of fame.
Blaser told Student Publications on Jan. 28 that he did not intend to leave the university.
“I’ve been there 23 years, so I don’t see anything changing, really,” Blaser said.
Blaser resigned to make things easier for his family, according to ocusports.com.
“This was the toughest decision I’ve ever made,” he said. “It was an opportunity that was fair to my wife and my family. I feel like I’ve been selfish with all the travel and gone all the time.”
Officials will conduct a national search to find a replacement, according to ocusports.com.
During his tenure at OCU, Blaser’s teams won 11 national championships and 114 tournaments. He was the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics “National Coach of the Year” 10 times. His 2017-18 team won their 11th NAIA championship, the most won under a coach.
Blaser was inducted into the OCU Athletics’s Hall of Fame alongside Alumnus Kameron Gray, two-time NAIA Division I men’s basketball tournament’s most valuable player, and Alumna Sydney Cox, winner of the individual women’s golf national championship.
Athletic Director Jim Abbott said he wishes Blaser the best in his future endeavors, according to ocusports.com.
“Kyle Blaser has left an incredible legacy in his 23 years as our men’s golf coach,” Abbott said in the press release. “We are grateful for the positive impact that he has made on our university, OCU athletics, and the men and women who have had the opportunity to play for his teams. He has distinguished himself as a coach and brought honor to Oklahoma City.”
Junior Golfer David Meyers said Blaser’s results are “highly impressive.”
“He’s made history in the college golf ranks and 11 national championships is unheard of,” Meyers said.
Marty McCauley, head women’s golf coach, wrote about his admiration for Blaser in a Facebook post.
“Coach Blaser, I owe you absolutely everything that I have been afforded in my professional career,” McCauley wrote. “You gave me an opportunity to become a coach and more importantly, supported me every single day for the last 15 years.”
Blaser said the men’s golf team has a long future ahead of it.
“There’s a pretty good foundation for these guys, and it’s a pretty good system set up for them, so I expect them to be competitive for a long, long time,” he said.
Contributing: Nicole Waltman, Editor-in-chief, and Copy Editor Chandler White
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