UCLA Men's Golf Coach Derek Freeman Announces Decision to Retire After Season

Freeman will have coached the Bruins for 16 years by the time he wraps up his career in 2022.

(Photo Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)

The Bruins are going to need a new leader on the links.

UCLA men's golf coach Derek Freeman announced Monday that he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 season. Freeman has been on the Bruins' coaching staff since 2006 and has been the head coach since July 2007, making him one of the longest-tenured coaches in Westwood.

In that time, Freeman led UCLA to 28 total tournament wins, including the 2008 NCAA championships.

"I have been blessed with the opportunity to coach an incredible group of student-athletes at UCLA for the past 16 years, including 15 as head coach," Freeman said in a statement provided by UCLA Athletics. "There is nothing that compares to working with players who are committed to maximizing their talents as golfers and helping them realize their full potential on and off the course. It has been a joy and privilege to share that journey with my players. I have loved being a Bruin and will always be grateful to UCLA for everything it has given to me and my family these last 16 years."

UCLA produced its two most successful professionals in program history under Freeman, Kevin Chappell and Patrick Cantlay. Chappell was a senior on the 2008 championship team and went on to make $16.4 million on the PGA Tour, while Cantlay won PGA Tour Player of the Year, the FedEx Cup and the Ryder Cup this fall alone.

Cantlay did not win a national title with the Bruins, but he helped them win an NCAA regional under Freeman's guidance in 2011. That was one of four regional titles for Freeman, with the others coming in 2008, 2009 and 2013. Both Chappell and Cantlay won the Jack Nicklaus Award, given to the top collegiate golfer in the country, under Freeman in 2008 and 2011, respectively.

Overall, the Bruins boasted 20 All-Americans during Freeman's tenure.

Off the course, UCLA kept its grades up enough to earn GCAA All-Academic Team Awards in 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, in addition to eight individual Academic All-Americans.

"I appreciate Derek's dedication and service to his student-athletes and UCLA for the last 16 years," Jarmond said in a written statement. "We wish him all the best in retirement. I am looking forward to a successful season of Derek guiding our young men on the links."

UCLA finished ninth, fourth and 13th in the three tournaments it played in during the 2021 fall season. The Bruins' spring season will begin Jan. 24 at the Southwest Invitational hosted by Pepperdine in Westlake Village, California.

With Freeman leaving Westwood next spring, the five longest-tenured head coaches at UCLA are men's tennis' Billy Martin, women's tennis' Stella Sampras Webster, women's golf's Carrie Forsyth, baseball's John Savage and softball's Kelly Inouye-Perez.

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