Steve Fell | Head Coach
UWF graduate Steve Fell took over as head coach of the West Florida men’s golf team in 1994 as it began its transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference. After 18 years under Fell’s leadership, the Argonauts now boast one of the top programs in all of college golf. Prior to the 2011-12 season, Fell was also named director of golf at UWF, overseeing both the men's and women's programs.
The Argonauts won NCAA Division II national championships in 2001 and 2008 and have been a national and regional power every year under Fell’s watch. UWF also has claimed 10 GSC titles, the most among active league schools. Fell, a 10-time GSC Coach of the Year and two-time National Coach of the Year, has tallied 54 career tournament wins, averaging just over three wins per season. In the summer of 2010, Fell was also named the GSC Coach of the Decade.
In his 18 years, Fell has coached 38 All-American players at UWF, and 61 have earned All-GSC honors. He has guided some of the most accomplished student-athletes in GSC history across all sports, including GSC Commissioner’s Trophy winner Kevin Warrick and first team GSC All-Decade Team golfers Bryan Clarke and Matthew Galloway. Perhaps the top individual golfer to play for Fell was Orjan Larsen, a three-time All-American and the individual medalist at the 1998 Division II Championships. Larsen was also one of just five student-athletes across all sports at UWF to earn National Player of the Year honors.
Fell’s coaching story began when he returned to his alma mater, West Florida, in 1995 to accept the position of men’s golf head coach. The Argonauts captured the GSC championship in just his first season, leading to his first GSC Coach of the Year award. The same year, he led the Argonauts to a runner-up finish at the NAIA National Championships.
In 1997, the Argonauts won their second conference title and competed at the NCAA regional for the first time, placing eighth. UWF repeated as GSC champs in 1998 and earned the team’s first national tournament berth, finishing fourth in the country led by Orjan Larsen’s individual medalist performance.
After two more years of regional and national acclaim, West Florida took the next step in 2001, claiming the first NCAA national championship across all sports at the university. The Argonauts won their fourth GSC title that year and tallied six tournament trophies throughout the season.
The team’s success in 2001 kicked off a decade of dominance for the Argonauts, as they went on to win six GSC titles over the next eight years. In 2008, UWF won a thrilling three-way playoff in the NCAA Championships to claim its second national championship. The Argos swept their way through the postseason that year, winning the GSC, regional and national tournaments.
Fell has coached multiple players who advanced to the next level. Stuart Manley saw time playing on the European Tour, and Kevin Warrick was the low amateur at the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. Meanwhile, David Lingmerth competed on the PGA Nationwide TOUR and the PGA TOUR, and Matthew Galloway has seen time at the PGA TOUR Q-School.
Outside of his college coaching experience, Fell was also named the coach of Team USA in 2002 and led the United States to victory at the 27th Annual Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship.
Fell graduated from West Florida in 1991 after a successful career as a student-athlete. After graduating he won the 1991 Pensacola News Journal Amateur Championship. The following year, he became a PGA apprentice at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass, home of THE PLAYERS Championship. In 1988, Fell captured medalist honors at the U.S. Amateur sectional and faced national competition when he competed in the U.S. Amateur Championship.
Steve and his wife, Maureen, have three daughters, Angel, 17, Faith, 7 and Hope, 5.
Photo by Ron Besser
Fell’s Coaching Honors
1995 - GSC Coach of the Year
1997 - GSC Coach of the Year (2)
1998 - GSC Coach of the Year (3)
2001 - National Coach of the Year (GCAA, Golfweek)
2001 - Regional Coach of the Year (GCAA)
2001 - GSC Coach of the Year (4)
2002 - GSC Coach of the Year (5)
2003 - Regional Coach of the Year (GCAA) (2)
2003 - GSC Coach of the Year (6)
2006 - GSC Coach of the Year (7)
2007 - GSC Coach of the Year (8)
2008 - National Coach of the Year (GCAA, Golfweek) (2)
2008 - GSC Coach of the Year (9)
2010 - GSC Coach of the Decade
2011 - GSC Coach of the Year (10)
Fell’s All-American Players (38)
1995 - Bill Montgomery (NAIA)
1995 - Graham Spring (NAIA)
1996 - Butch Bundy (NAIA)
1996 - Frank Leo (NAIA)
1998 - Orjan Larsen (first team)
1998 - Frank Leo (honorable mention)
1998 - Stuart Cox (second team)
1999 - Orjan Larsen (first team)
1999 - Frank Leo (first team)
1999 - Stuart Manley (honorable mention)
2000 - Bryan Clarke (first team)
2000 - Orjan Larsen (third team)
2000 - Stuart Manley (second team)
2001 - Joe Christianson (honorable mention)
2001 - Bryan Clarke (first team)
2001 - Lee Gauthier (second team)
2001 - Stuart Manley (second team)
2001 - Kevin Warrick (first team)
2002 - Bryan Clarke (first team)
2002 - Kevin Warrick (second team)
2003 - Joe Christianson (second team)
2003 - Kevin Warrick (first team)
2004 - Will Grace (honorable mention)
2004 - Adam Neville (third team)
2004 - Andrea Signor (second team)
2006 - Matthew Galloway (honorable mention)
2006 - Will Grace (honorable mention)
2006 - Fredrik Lundberg (second team)
2007 - Federico Damus (third team)
2007 - Matthew Galloway (first team)
2007 - David Lingmerth (third team)
2008 - Matthew Galloway (second team)
2008 - Tobias Rosendahl (first team)
2008 - Kyle Scott (first team)
2009 - Kyle Scott (second team)
2011 - Otto Bonning (third team)
2011 - Carlos Rodriguez (honorable mention)
2012 - Carlos Rodriguez (first team)
Fell’s All-GSC Players (61)
1995 - Bill Montgomery (first team)
1995 - Glenn Shane (first team)
1995 - Graham Spring (first team)
1997 - Butch Bundy (first team)
1997 - Matthew Cox (first team)
1997 - Orjan Larsen (first team)
1997 - Brian Lefferts (first team)
1998 - Orjan Larsen (first team)
1998 - Frank Leo (first team)
1998 - Stuart Manley (first team)
1998 - Randall Wells (first team)
1999 - Orjan Larsen (first team)
1999 - Frank Leo (first team)
1999 - Stuart Manley (second team)
2000 - Bryan Clarke (second team)
2000 - Steve Genchi (second team)
2000 - Orjan Larsen (second team)
2000 - Stuart Manley (first team)
2000 - Kevin Warrick (second team)
2001 - Bryan Clarke (first team)
2001 - Lee Gauthier (second team)
2001 - Stuart Manley (first team)
2001 - Alex Smith (second team)
2001 - Kevin Warrick (first team)
2002 - Bryan Clarke (first team)
2002 - Ty Harris (first team)
2002 - Kevin Warrick (first team)
2003 - Joe Christianson (first team)
2003 - Fredrik Lundberg (second team)
2003 - Adam Neville (first team)
2003 - Kevin Warrick (second team)
2004 - Fredrik Lundberg (first team)
2004 - Adam Neville (second team)
2004 - Andrea Signor (first team)
2005 - Matthew Berzovich (first team)
2005 - Fredrik Lundberg (second team)
2005 - Andrea Signor (first team)
2006 - Matthew Galloway (first team)
2006 - Will Grace (second team)
2006 - Fredrik Lundberg (first team)
2007 - Matthew Berzovich (second team)
2007 - Federico Damus (first team)
2007 - Matthew Galloway (first team)
2007 - David Lingmerth (first team)
2008 - Otto Bonning (second team)
2008 - Matthew Galloway (first team)
2008 - Tobias Rosendahl (first team)
2008 - Kyle Scott (first team)
2009 - Ryan Black (first team)
2009 - Otto Bonning (second team)
2009 - Kyle Scott (first team)
2010 - Ryan Black (first team)
2010 - Otto Bonning (first team)
2010 - Blake Olson (first team)
2011 - Ryan Black (first team)
2011 - Otto Bonning (first team)
2011 - Blake Olson (second team)
2011 - Carlos Rodriguez (first team)
2012 - Ryan Black (first team)
2012 - Carlos Rodriguez (first team)
2012 - Thomas Guste-Pedersen (first team)
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