Casey VanDamme - Head Coach - Men's Golf Coaches - South Dakota State University Athletics

Photo by: Ricky Bassman

Casey VanDamme

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
Casey.VanDamme@sdstate.edu

Jumping in headfirst was what fifth- year South Dakota State Director of Golf Casey VanDamme did when he took over the men’s golf program in 2014-15.

Under his guidance, the Jackrabbits men’s golf team continues to make history, winning the program’s first Summit League Championship in 2016 and repeating in 2017. SDSU was the first team in The Summit League to win back-to-back championships since 2010. State is also one of five league teams since 1983 to make two-or-more NCAA Regional appearances.

Since VanDamme’s arrival, he has coached four all-league selections, mentored all-academic performer and the Jackrabbits have rewritten the record book. He has also upgraded and transformed the Jackrabbits’ regular-season schedule.

The two-time Summit League Coach of the Year has had The Summit League Player of the Year, a first-team All-Summit League selection, three second-team all-league picks and four all-tournament honorees in the last four years.

In the classroom, Grant Smith earned Summit League All-Academic accolades twice and was named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America in 2016. Fourteen Jackrabbits have also been named to The Summit League Academic Honor Roll.

In the SDSU record book, the Jacks set the 18- and 36-hole records and the single-season record for rounds and career rounds. Smith finished his career under VanDamme with the fourth-lowest single-season stroke average (73.72) and third-lowest career stroke average (74.36). As a team, the Jackrabbits set the 54-hole record and posted the second-lowest single-season team scoring average (296.64) in 2015-16.

South Dakota State moved from playing most of its regular-season tournaments within the region against regional opponents, but after VanDamme’s arrival SDSU began playing in national tournaments and against ranked teams and student-athletes. The Jackrabbits play, on average, 12 ranked teams per year and have defeated three top-50 teams. They have also played in Arizona five times, Florida, California and Colorado three times each and in events in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

VanDamme also added an additional SDSU-hosted tournament, The Jackrabbit, bringing in an elite field of golfers for a three-day event at The Dunes course at Prairie Club in Valentine, Neb. Ranked teams such as Clemson, Tennessee, McNeese State, Arizona State, Texas A&M, South Florida and Oregon State have all made the trip to The Jackrabbit. SDSU has finished in the top five twice.

Joining the Jackrabbits family in July 2014, VanDamme guided SDSU to a third-place finish at the 2015 Summit League Tournament and a pair of top-five finishes.

In 2016, the Jackrabbits broke through, winning The Summit League Championship by 11 strokes. In their first NCAA Division I Regional, the Jackrabbits finished 11th, but captured the attention of the golf world when they were sixth after the opening round and Grant Smith was tied for first.

VanDamme won his first Summit League Coach of the Year honor in 2016 while Smith was named the 2015-16 Summit League Golfer of the Year and a first-team All-Summit League selection. Felipe Strobach earned second-team honors and was The Summit League Newcomer of the Year. Both Smith and Strobach also were named to the all-tournament team at the league championship.

In 2017, SDSU captured its second consecutive Summit League Championship with a two-stroke win. Smith won the individual title and was named the 2017 Summit League Championship MVP. Alejandro Restrepo was also named to the all-tournament team after tying for fourth in the two-day championship.

During the regular season, the Jackrabbits placed fourth at The Jackrabbit Invitational, defeating then-70th ranked Oregon State, and finished in the top 10 in six tournaments.

VanDamme, who is SDSU’s second full-time golf coach, spent five seasons at Tennessee as director of instruction/player development, beginning in 2009. During his tenure, Tennessee equaled its best postseason stretch in school history with five trips to the NCAA Championship regionals, advancing to the 2010, 2011 and 2013 NCAA Championships.

Prior to coaching the Vols, VanDamme learned the trade under renowned golf instructor Jim McLean. He spent seven years at the Jim McLean Golf School in Palm Springs, Calif., and Traverse City, Mich., becoming the youngest master instructor in school history.

VanDamme has worked with PGA Tour players, including as an on-site teaching professional to a participant in the 2009 PGA Championship.

He began his collegiate golf career at Marquette before finishing at Northern Michigan, where he graduated in 2000. VanDamme started his tenure under McLean in 1998 while still playing collegiately. He also played professionally on the National Golf Association Hooters Tour in 2003-04.

From 2006 to 2009, VanDamme served as athletic director at Mid Peninsula High School in Rock, Mich., also working summers since 2005 with the CVD Golf Academy in Gladstone, Mich. He also served in 2008 as head golf professional at LochenHeath Golf Club in Traverse City.

VanDamme and his wife, the former Jill Gobert, are natives of Perkins, Mich., and are the parents of daughters, Madelyn, Claire and Lizzy, and son, Andrew.