Jacksonville Native Takes Reigns Of Rebirthed Program
Jacksonville, Florida-Edward Waters University (EWU) Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Dr. Ivana Rich announced the hiring of Kelly Allen as the head coach of the rebirthed women’s golf program.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Allen as the new leader of our women’s golf program,” remarked Dr. Rich. “He is an energetic coach, who has shown a commitment to the pursuit of excellence, as evidenced by his outstanding track record as a player and coach. He also happens to be from the Jacksonville community and will ensure the women’s golf program attracts the talent and community support to its current growth.”
A Jacksonville native, Allen has personal ties with the EWU area, growing up just minutes away from campus in the surrounding neighborhood off of Myrtle Avenue.
Allen went to high school at Riverside High School (formerly Robert E. Lee High School) before heading to Benedict College, where he was a three-year letterwinner for the men’s golf team. While at BC, Allen was a two-time All-SIAC selection and a member of the 2015 SIAC Men’s Golf Championship team.
Allen has been a long-time participant and coach at the First Tee of North Florida, working with over 100,000 children in the Northeast Florida area. He is also the founder/owner of Golf By Kelly, LLC, a local golf brand that aims to bring eccentric style to the game of golf.
“I am really excited and grateful to have the opportunity to return home and help rebuild a program that is located in the very same neighborhood I grew up in,” said Allen. “I couldn’t be happier to be put in a position to not only give back to my community, but contribute to the growth of young black women.”
Dr. Rich further added, “What impresses me about Coach Allen is his passion for holistically developing players and his desire to make an impact in his own community.” “We are extremely happy that Coach Allen is joining our Tiger family. I know he’ll build excitement around the program, be a positive leader for our student-athletes, and assist each of our young ladies in maximizing their skill set to become the best players they can be.”
The EWU women’s golf program was rebirthed in May of 2021 after a six-year hiatus, thanks to a $50,000 grant from THE PLAYERS Championship. The Lady Tigers will be just the second HBCU in the state of Florida to offer women’s golf as a varsity sport.
The Lady Tigers are set to hit the links in the Spring of 2023.
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