One of the most accomplished coaches in women’s college golf takes the reins of the Nebraska program, as Jeanne Sutherland was named the head coach of the Huskers on May 5, 2022.
Sutherland, who spent the 2021-22 season as the associate head coach for the Huskers, takes over the top job from Lisa Johnson, who led the Husker program the past three seasons. Johnson’s departure follows the recent announcement of her husband, John Johnson, as the Athletic Director at Portland State.
Sutherland came to Nebraska after spending 10 seasons (2011-2021) as the head coach at SMU. She previously spent 15 seasons as the head coach at Texas A&M (1992-2007). During her first two collegiate head coaching stints, Sutherland led 18 teams to NCAA Regional appearances, including four to NCAA Championship appearances. She is a two-time NCAA regional/district coach of the year and a four-time conference coach of the year. She has coached three individuals to All-America honors and five individual conference champions during her distinguished head coaching career.
“It is truly an honor to be named the head coach at Nebraska,” Sutherland said. “I have spent the past season building relationships with our players, which should help us continue the success that Coach Lisa Johnson built in recent years. I want to thank Coach Johnson for giving me the opportunity to serve as her assistant and continue to do what I love most. I want to thank Athletic Director Trev Alberts for having the confidence in my ability and leadership to move the Nebraska program forward.”
In 2018, Sutherland was named the inaugural winner of the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Kim Evans Award, which is presented annually to the college or high school coach, and Class A PGA Professional, whose support of the game through teaching, coaching and involvement in the community has helped ensure the continued growth of golf, and who represents the finest qualities the sport has to offer. Sutherland also earned the WGCA Founders Award in 2017.
In 2016-17, Sutherland led SMU to its fifth consecutive NCAA Regional berth after producing a runner-up finish at the American Athletic Conference Championship. She also guided the Mustangs to the highest ranking in program history at No. 20 nationally. Three Mustang golfers earned All-AAC honors in 2017.
SMU made an NCAA Regional trip in 2015-16 after producing three All-AAC golfers, including AAC Freshman of the Year Brigitte Dunne. Although SMU’s streak of five straight NCAA Regional appearances ended in 2016-17, Dunne advanced to regional play as an individual in both 2017-18 and 2018-19. She was joined in NCAA Regional play in 2017-18 by Mustang teammate Faith Summers.
Sutherland guided the Mustangs to a 10th-place NCAA Regional finish in St. George, Utah in 2014-15, the second-best regional showing in program history. In SMU’s first season in the American Athletic Conference (2013-14), Sutherland coached Jenny Hagland to the league’s individual championship, before leading the Mustangs to an NCAA Regional berth in San Antonio. In 2012-13, Sutherland began a streak of taking five straight SMU teams to NCAA Regional play, as the Mustangs earned a spot at the Norman Regional.
Prior to her long stay as SMU’s head coach, Sutherland spent 15 successful seasons at Texas A&M (1992-2007). A four-time conference coach of the year in Aggieland (3 Big 12, 1 Southwest Conference), Sutherland was also a two-time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year (1997, 2007). She led 13 Texas A&M teams to NCAA Regional play in her 15 years in College Station.
Before Sutherland’s arrival at A&M, the Aggies had not won a tournament in seven years, but once she took the reins, Texas A&M captured 13 tournament crowns and three Big 12 Conference titles. In addition to the team’s success, Sutherland’s players earned three All-America honors, four individual conference titles, 22 regular-season individual titles, 25 all-conference accolades, three conference player-of-the-year awards, two newcomer-of-the-year honors, 17 WGCA Scholastic All-America honors and 50 academic all-conference selections.
Sutherland’s Texas A&M teams were perennially ranked in the national top 25, including a highest national ranking of No. 14. She led the Aggies to four NCAA Championship appearances, taking 17th in 1997, 19th in 2006, 22nd in 2005, and 23rd in 2004.
Following her time with the Aggies, Sutherland stepped away from college golf for four years (2007-11) to serve as the Head Professional at the Vail Golf Club in Colorado. She had previously served as an Assistant Golf Professional at Vail for seven years (1985-92).
A PGA and WGCA member, Sutherland also has strong Midwestern ties. She earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education (English) from Northern Iowa in 1983, before earning her master’s degree in athletic administration from Iowa in 1989.
A member of the University of Northern Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame, Sutherland was named to the 1981 AIAW Division II All-America Team and the 1981 and 1982 AIAW All-Region 6 teams. As a sophomore at the 1981 AIAW Division II National Championships, she grabbed a third-place individual finish and led the Panthers to a third-place team finish. As a junior, she led UNI to a fifth-place national finish, which included her 13th-place individual performance. A native of Dubuque, she is also a member of the Dubuque Senior High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Sutherland’s Coaching Experience
- Nebraska Head Coach (2022-present)
- Nebraska Associate Head Coach (2021-22)
- Head Coach, SMU (2011-21, 10 Seasons)
- Head Coach, Texas A&M (1992-2007, 15 Seasons)
Honors & Awards
- WGCA Kim Evans Award (2018)
- WGCA Founders Award (2017)
- PGA Class A Professional
- NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year (Texas A&M, 2007)
- NCAA West District Coach of the Year (Texas A&M, 1997)
- Four-Time Conference Coach of the Year
(Big 12, 1997, 2006, 2007; Southwest Conference, 1995)
- Led 18 Teams to NCAA Regional Appearances
- Coached Four Teams to NCAA Championship Appearances (Texas A&M, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006)
- Big 12 Conference Championship Teams (Texas A&M, 1998, 2006, 2007)
- Coached Three Individual All-Americans
- Coached Five Individual Conference Champions
- Coached Three Conference Players of the Year
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