ST. LOUIS – University of Missouri-St. Louis men's and women's golf assistant coach
Scott Worley has been named the 2025 Jan Strickland Outstanding Assistant Coach Award presented by TaylorMade Golf Company recipients. The Strickland Award is presented to the NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, or NJCAA assistant coach that, among other things, has excelled in working with their student-athletes both on the course and in the classroom. Worley will be honored with their awards during the 2025 GCAA National Convention at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas December 9-11.
"To be honored with the Non-Division I Jan Strickland Award, from the family of fellow assistant coaches, is something I will cherish for the rest of my career," said Worley. "Thank you to the selection committee, the association, and Taylor Made Golf Company for the support of this award."
Worley has assisted Director of Golf Operations Troy Halterman with both UMSL golf programs (men and women) since August 2023. The men doubled their top-five team finishes from last season (four to nine) and qualified for the NCAA Division II Championship for the first time since 2022 before completing the season ranked No. 26 via Scoreboard powered by Clippd. The Tritons, who broke the single-season program record for team scoring average (289.19), were led on the course by All-Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) golfers Trigg Lindahl, Logan Mayo, and Dani Solavera. Mayo was also named GLVC Freshman of the Year and PING All-Midwest Region. The men also broke program records for 54-hole team score (837) and lowest round score (273), while Solavera tied the school record for 54-hole individual score (205) at the UIndy Invitational in September.
The women, who finished inside the top three once last season, compiled two wins and six other top-three finishes this season before qualifying for their first NCAA Division II Championship appearance since 2022. The No. 22-ranked Tritons, who broke the single-season program record for team scoring average (297.49) by over seven strokes, were led on the course by five All-GLVC honorees, including GLVC Player of the Year Wilma Zanderau and GLVC Freshman of the Year Mayan Covarrubias. Zanderau was named WGCA Second Team All-American for the second straight year after being runner-up at the GLVC Women's Golf Championship and finishing T10 at her second consecutive NCAA Division II Championship. The women also broke program records for 54-hole (856), 36-hole (562), and 18-hole score (277) at the National Preview in October. Zanderau, Covarrubias, and two other teammates tied the school record for rounds played in a season (39).
Worley has coached a combined 14 All-GLVC (10 W, 4 M), 11 GLVC Golf Player of the Week (9 W, 2 M), eight All-America Scholar (5 WGCA, 3 GCAA), and three All-Region (2 WGCA, 1 GCAA) selections thus far for his alma mater. Cyril Henault became the third Triton to win the GLVC Individual Championship in 2024, and the men received GCAA Presidents Special Recognition in 2023-24 for having a 3.5+ team GPA.
"I am so excited for Scott," Halterman, the 2025 GLVC Men's Golf Coach of the Year, said. "He works so hard with our players and has made a big difference to our program. Scott is not just a coach at UMSL, and as a golf alum, he takes great pride in all the team successes. He is very committed to the success of our players."
"He is truly deserving of this honor," continued Halterman. "The entire team was excited when they heard he was a finalist for the award. It's a huge honor for our program to win a national award like this."
Worley played at UMSL for two years (1987-88, 1991-92), where he was a member of the program's first conference championship (1992 MIAA) and first NCAA Division II Championship-qualifying team. He played in seven tournaments and 13 rounds during the 1991-92 season. Worley was a student assistant for the 1994-95 season before graduating with a degree in business administration in 1995.
Since then, Worley has been a teaching professional in the St. Louis area for 30 years, working with many of the top amateurs and juniors in the area. He is a PGA member, Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) certified, and was awarded Leadbetter Kids Certification in 2018, helping teach children aged 3-12 about physical, mental, and social skills through golf and other real-life situations and interactions to learn important life skills. Worley has been a Certified Callaway Fitter since 2002 and has continued his golf education through numerous teaching seminars, series', PGA conferences, workshops, and academies since 1995.
"I would like to thank my wife and two sons for understanding the commitment needed to support our UMSL student-athletes to succeed on the course and in the classroom," Worley continued. "Special thanks to Coach Troy Halterman for the opportunity to coach under his guidance and improve my skills. We forget how fortunate it is to practice and play at wonderful facilities. I appreciate the members at Glen Echo Country Club for allowing our student-athletes to use such a prestigious course."
"This award is really about the success of our student-athletes, I feel honored to help them on their journey."
TaylorMade Golf Company has sponsored the Jan Strickland Outstanding Assistant Coach Award since its inception in 2003.