Former Clemson Golfer Mike Carlisle to be Inducted into GCAA Hall of Fame

Nov. 4, 2010

CLEMSON, SC – Former Clemson golfer Mike Carlisle will be inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in December. Carlisle is in his 20th year as the Head Coach at South Carolina Aiken. He will be one of seven individuals to be inducted at the GCAA Hall of Fame Reception and Awards Banquet on Monday, Dec. 6 at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas.

Carlisle is one of six coaches who will be inducted in the 2010 Hall of Fame Class, joining Bob Alpers of Saint John’s (Minn.), Oklahoma City’s Kyle Blaser, Texas Wesleyan’s Bobby Cornett, Steve Desimone of California and Floyd Horgan of Brevard CC and Centenary. Additionally, Ron Balicki of Golfweek will be inducted for his contributions to college golf.

“This is a tremendous honor,” noted Carlisle. “These individuals that are being and have been inducted are coaches that I have played and coached against. I have a hard time considering myself in this category. I just think this speaks volumes about the university and the support our program has received over the years that has enabled us to be successful.”

Carlisle was a starter on the first Clemson team to advance to the NCAA Tournament in 1980. He teamed with current Clemson Head Coach Clarence Rose to help the Tigers to a 12th place finish at the NCAAs that year.

Penley was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a coach in 2003.

A six-time Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year, Carlisle has been named the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2006. He has led the program to eight PBC championships in 20 seasons in the league, including a three-peat in 1995-97 and back-to-back crowns in 2002-03 and 2005-06.

The five-time NCAA Southeast Region champions have made 18 trips in the last 19 years to the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the National Championship Tournament 14 times.

During the last 19 seasons, while playing a full compliment of tournaments largely against top caliber Division I competition, Carlisle’s teams have captured 72 titles, including an amazing stretch of 23 of 28 events from the end of 2003-04 through 2005-06, an average of 4.3 per year. USC Aiken has also become a fixture atop the GCAA Top 25 and the Golfstat Top 10 polls.

An eight-time NCAA District or Region Coach of the Year (1995-99, 2002, 2004, 2006), Carlisle has coached 45 NCAA All-Americans, nine All-Academic selections, two NCAA Players of the Year, one NCAA Freshman of the Year, seven PBC Players of the Year and 40 All-Conference selections.