WICHITA, Kan. – Friends University VP of Athletics & Strategic Expansion Dr. Rob Ramseyer has announced the hiring of Tom McCurdy as Head Coach and Director of Golf for the Falcon Men's Golf program.
"Tom is the right leader at the right time for our men's golf program," said Dr. Ramseyer. "His track record speaks for itself with championships, conference titles, and academic excellence at every stop. But what stood out to us beyond the resume was the kind of coach and person he is. Tom was looking for a faith-driven environment to coach in, and we were looking for someone who could develop young people in every area of their lives. That alignment matters as much to us as the wins he'll bring. I'm grateful to him for choosing Friends, and I'm excited about what's ahead for our golf program."
McCurdy won't need to travel far, as he comes to Friends following a highly successful 19-year tenure as the Wichita State University women's golf head coach.
This past season, McCurdy guided the Shockers to a runner-up finish at the Payne Stewart Memorial and three top three results before wrapping up the season with an eighth place showing at the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship.
In 2024-25, McCurdy guided the team to a higher than projected finish at the AAC tournament with Kate Tilma finishing tied for seventh individually. The team also averaged 303.82 strokes per tournament, the fifth best single-season mark in team history.
With the Shockers joining the AAC for the 2017-18 campaign, McCurdy helped the Shockers hit the ground running by coaching Taryn Torgeson to the AAC individual title with the lowest 18-hole and 54-hole score in team history.
The following season, McCurdy led the Shockers to the lowest team stroke average in team history (301.34).
Prior to joining the AAC, McCurdy and the Shockers enjoyed prohibitive success in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), winning three straight MVC titles from 2013-16, with the first championship representing the first for the Shockers since 1992. McCurdy claimed two MVC Coach of the Year nods during that stretch.
McCurdy's teams at WSU also found success in the classroom, ranking seventh in NCAA Division I in the Spring of 2010 with a 3.589 GPA that earned recognition from the National Golf Coaches Association. The next season, the Shockers ranked 24th among all collegiate golf programs with a 3.607 GPA.
Before arriving in Wichita, McCurdy was the head coach at Northern Arizona University for six years, where he was immediately named the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 after leading NAU to an NCAA Regional berth, becoming one of only six first-year women's head coaches to accomplish the feat.
Overall, McCurdy coached nine All-Big Sky first-team performers, one Big Sky conference champion and 10 Big Sky All-Academic selections. During the 2004-05 season, NAU recorded the fifth-highest women's golf grade-point-average in the nation according to the National Golf Coaches Association.
McCurdy also had assistant coach tenures for both the men's and women's golf programs at Washington State University after beginning his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, Eastern Washington University in 1997-98. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in education from EWU in 1994.
He and his wife Jennifer have two daughters, Kayden Lynn (19) and Jaye Elizabeth (18).
"It is an honor to be named Director of Golf and Men's Golf Head Coach at Friends University," said McCurdy. "The mission of Friends aligns with my beliefs as a Christian and I am eager to be coaching in that environment. As Men's Head Coach, my intent is to lead the young men in the program to be successful in all areas and represent Friends University to the highest standard. When I met with Dr. Ramseyer to discuss this opportunity, I was excited to hear about his vision for the golf programs and his optimistic outlook for Friends Athletics. Go, Falcons!"
