Ithaca Women's Golf Coach Dan Wood Announces Retirement
ITHACA, N.Y. –
Dan Wood, who was hired as the inaugural coach of the women's golf team at Ithaca, has announced his retirement after six seasons at the helm of the Bombers. Joining Wood in retirement is assistant coach
Sandi Wood.
"Sandi and I were honored to have been chosen in 2008 to launch a new varsity sport and have enjoyed helping the team develop," said
Dan Wood. "Bomber golfers worked hard to achieve high rankings at the conference, state, regional and national levels, especially over the last three seasons. We thank them for their efforts and wish the returning players and the new coach continued success."
Wood, the winner of five-straight Empire 8 Coach of the Year awards, has built the program into a national contender thanks to continuous and steady improvement throughout his tenure. He led the Bombers to the NCAA Division III Championships in 2014 where the team placed tied for fifth. Wood helped guide
Sharon Li to three-straight NCAA appearances as well as three All-America honors from the Women's Golf Coaches Association. Li was also named Division III Player of the Year for 2013-14 by the WGCA.
"On behalf of the Department of Athletics, I would like to thank coach Wood for his commitment and leadership," said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports
Susan Bassett. "Dan has had a significant influence on many women golfers over the last six years. He has been instrumental in the creation and growth of the women's golf program, from inception to a nationally ranked program. The meteoric rise of IC women's golf under his direction has been incredible. We want to thank coach Wood and
Sandi Wood for all they have done for Ithaca College. We wish them both the best in their retirement.
Wood is a member of the Professional Golf Association and a former Senior PGA Tour champion. He coached men's soccer and men's tennis at Cornell University while also teaching golf in the physical education department. Wood left Cornell for a coaching stint in professional soccer, coaching North American Soccer League teams in Denver, Atlanta and Minneapolis from 1977 to 1984.
Wood joined the PGA of America in 1985 and competed as a club professional from 1985-1996, qualifying for the PGA Championship at Bellerive in St. Louis in 1992 and winning the Florida Open in 1995. He joined the Senior PGA Tour full-time in 1996 and played in senior events until 1999.
He qualified for five US Senior Opens, tying for seventh at Riviera Country Club in 1998 where he finished two shots ahead of Jack Nicklaus. Wood won the 2002 Otesaga Seniors Open in Cooperstown with an 11-under par 205. He has also won two North Florida PGA Super Seniors titles. In 2007, Wood qualified for the inaugural Dick's Sporting Goods Champions Tour event at En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott, N.Y.
He is the son of the late Carlton "Carp" Wood, a charter member of the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame who coached men's soccer, men's basketball and baseball at Ithaca and served as the school's athletic director.