Lindsey Wilson's Chris Butler has been selected the NAIA's recipient of the 2025 Dave Williams National Coach of the Year Award presented by Golf Pride Grips, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday.
Butler was named a finalist for the prestigious honor back on May 15, 2025, and becomes the first golf coach in school history to receive the award.
The Blue Raider men posted an NAIA-best eight tournament wins during the 2024-25 campaign, culminating in the program's first national championship on May 23 in Silvis, Illinois. Under Butler's leadership, Lindsey Wilson set new single-season records for rounds of par or better and stroke average while tying the mark for tournament wins. The Blue Raiders also recorded their lowest one-round and three-round scores.
As far as national rankings, Lindsey Wilson extended its stay inside the NAIA top-10 to 19 straight polls, ranking as high as No. 2 on October 31, which matches the program's all-time best. In the GCAA's Bushnell/Golfweek NAIA Coaches Poll, the Blue Raiders maintained a top-10 rating across each of the organization's eight polls this season.
In his second season at the helm, Butler mentored four NAIA All-Americans, one GCAA NAIA PING First-Team All-American, five All-Mid-South Conference honorees, including Freshman of the Year Stanley White and Player of the Year Rio Saigal, and guided Lindsey Wilson to its second consecutive conference tournament title. He additionally collected NAIA Head Coach of the Year Mid-South Head Coach of the Year honors, becoming the third different coach in program history to garner the conference accolade multiple times in their career.
Butler is one of six superlative head coaches receiving the 2025 Dave Williams National Coach of the Year Award. Alan Bratton of Oklahoma State (NCAA Division I), Mark Hull of Colorado Christian (NCAA Division II), Pete Gyscek of Washington & Lee (NCAA Division III), Walt Williams of Midland (NJCAA Division I), and Brad Thornton of Mississippi Gulf Coast (NJCAA Division II) earned the accolade for their respective divisions.
Golf Pride Grips will present the coaches with their awards during the Hall of Fame Banquet at the GCAA National Convention December 9-11, 2025.
Story Courtesy from ColumbiaMagazine.Com
