Hollingsworth signs four-year contract extension through 2019

The University of Toledo’s athletic director Mike O’Brien announced on March 16 that women’s golf Head Coach Nicole Hollingsworth has signed a four-year contract extension that will keep her in Toledo throughout the 2018-2019 season.

“It’s pretty exciting to sign a four-year extension,” Hollingsworth said. “I’m quite moved because I know there’s probably not a lot of golf coaches that have a four-year deal.”

Hollingsworth is in her 13th season at Toledo after assuming the role of head coach in 2003. In her 13 years here, she has lead the Rockets to 26 tournaments and 13 individual titles.

“Toledo is where I’ve built the success,” Hollingsworth said. “It is hard to be successful in Division I athletics, no matter what sport it is. This is where I have made my life and I have a great life, with great friends and great support.”

Before Toledo, Hollingsworth coached three seasons at Ohio University from 1996-99 and three more years at the University of Kansas from 1999-2002 before arriving to UT.

While with the Bobcats, Hollingsworth started the women’s golf program from scratch and was the youngest coach in the country at the age of 24. Both programs under Hollingsworth notched at least 14 top-10 team finishes.

“I’ve liked all of the schools I’ve coached at and I could have stayed anywhere,” Hollingsworth said. “But what’s so great about Toledo is that I’ve actually built it and seen the success so to be able to stay here and reap the rewards of my hard work is a good thing.”

While Toledo excels on the golf course, Hollingsworth has maintained to keep academics the number-one priority.

“She’s very loyal,” O’Brien said. “She really works hard at recruiting the right student athlete that can be successful on the course but in the classroom as well.”

On three different occasions under Hollingsworth, the Rockets have scored the athletic departments highest grade point average, setting a school record with a 3.714 team GPA this past fall.

In nine of Hollingsworth’s 12 past seasons, UT has finished at the top half of the Mid-American Conference, earning Toledo a reputation of one of the most competitive golf programs in the MAC.

In 2014, Hollingsworth was awarded the MAC Coach of the Year by her peers for her success on the golf course.

“Because of her success, she has gotten a lot of notoriety for her program locally, regionally and nationally, which is a good thing for UT,” O’Brien said. “I always get back to her work ethic and she’s doing really great things for our university.”

Already this season, the Rockets have tied the school record of four tournament titles for a season with three tournaments left.

UT is also on pace to set a new school record for lowest stroke average with a 298.9 mark in their past seven tournaments.

“I’ve always said that your success is led by your senior leadership and they are doing it on the golf course,” Hollingsworth said. “Every week they either have a chance of winning or they are in contention of winning and that doesn’t happen often anymore.”

Seniors Morgan Salm, Sathika Ruenreong and Manisa Isavas have lead the Rockets to six top-three tournament finishes. Ruenreong has received first-team All-MAC honors on three different occasions, making her the first Rocket to do so more than once.

Over the past summer, Hollingsworth suffered a near-death health experience after collapsing due to a heart condition caused by stress.

Now healthy, Hollingsworth says that she is blessed to be able to continue her coaching career.

“I’m working on smelling the roses as they would say,” Hollingsworth said. “I’ve always enjoyed what I’ve done; I’ve always loved coaching but when you almost die or there is a chance of death, it has put my life in perspective.”

The Rockets will look to continue their record-breaking season on March 28 where they will travel to Williamsburg, Virginia to participate in the Kingsmill Intercollegiate Tournament.