The Gator Great was recently named the 2023 National Assistant Coach of the Year.
GAINESVILLE, Fla.- Florida head coach men’s golf J.C. Deacon announced the promotion of Dudley Hart to Associate Head Coach on Thursday.
The 2023 National Assistant Coach of the Year, spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach after spending four years (2017-20) as Florida’s volunteer assistant.
“We are honored to name Dudley Hart our Associate Head Coach,” said Deacon. “Since arriving full time in Gainesville, he has given his heart and soul to our players, this program, and the University of Florida. His work ethic and commitment to excellence defines what I think a great coach looks like. I am very proud of what we have accomplished together and look forward to chasing more championships with him going forward.”
It was a historic season for Hart and the Gators in 2022-23 that led to the program’s fifth National Championship and 16th SEC Championship. He was also named the 2023 Jan Strickland Outstanding Assistant Coach of the Year. Hart is only the second Gator to receive the award in program history, joining John Handrigan in 2015. This marks the first time in program history that Florida has won the national assistant and head coach of the year awards as Deacon received it for the first time in his career.
He helped lead the Gators to its fifth National Championship in program history and first in 22 years last week as Florida also swept NCAAs with Fred Biondi winning the individual title. It was the third UF golfer (Nick Gilliam 2001, Bob Murphy 1966) to achieve the honor and second time in 30 years the program swept both titles. Florida is one of seven schools to achieve the mark twice.
UF reached match play at nationals for the first time in program history and its best finish in the match play era (2009) last year in 10th. Florida played in the fourth round of stroke play for the fifth time in program history and second with Hart. It was also the second consecutive season to clinch a spot in the final 18.
Florida finished stroke play in 2nd with a score of 1,118 (-2), its lowest all-time at Grayhawk and first under par team score at the NCAAs since 2006. The 1,118 was the lowest round score at the National Championships in program history. A final round of 279 (-1) marks the third consecutive under round after back-to-back 2-under 278s in round two and three. The -2 performance by UF is the best round at the NCAA Championships since the opening round in 2007.
Hart helped guide Florida to its 16th SEC Championship and first in 12 years. The Gators got revenge in a rematch and defeat of No. 1 Vanderbilt 3-1-1 at Sea Island. The conference championship was Hart’s second overall as he won one in 1989 as a player.
The Gators won the NCAA team and individual title and conference title in the same season for the first time in program history.
Florida claimed six team titles and six individual titles this past season. The six team wins was the most since seven in 2003-04 as it was the sixth time the Gators have won at least six events in a season. The six medalist honors tied the program record in a season and only the third time in Florida history, the others were in 1989-90 when Hart was a player on the team and in 2010-11.
Prior to the postseason, the Orange and Blue won four regular season tournaments, including the season opener and finale. At the Augusta Haskins Award Invite, Florida finished 39-under par, to tie second all-time in program history by par and only three shots away from the record (-42).
At the VyStar Credit Union Gators Invitational, Florida won its home event for the fourth straight year and the 29th time overall in the tournament’s 46th occurrence.
Hart saw four golfers (Fred Biondi, Ricky Castillo, John DuBois and Yuxin Lin) all earn PING All-American honors, tied for the most selections by a school this year and tied the Florida record. It was the seventh time the Gators had four selections with the last time being in 2006. Biondi, Castillo, Lin and Quentin Debove were also selected to the PING All-Region Team. The trio of Biondi, Castillo and Lin collected All-SEC honors with Matthew Kress collecting freshman team recognition.
Success was also obtained off the course with Fred Biondi, Quentin Debove and John DuBois being named GCCA All-American Scholars, which marked the back-to-back years with multiple honorees and most selections in a single season in program history.
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