Kim Evans is going into her 17th year as head coach of the women's golf team and has racked up her share of accolades along the way.
Evans has managed to direct six SEC championships and 14 NCAA championship appearances during her tenure as head coach, with a tie for second in 2002 and a tie for third in 2005.
Evans' career record is 2,145-658-35, a performance that is on par with the best coaches in the nation.
Evans' career in golf started many years before her career in coaching.
"I grew up on a golf course in Decatur, Ala.," Evans said. "I had four older brothers, and we played every sport. My dad was an avid golfer, so I ended up playing golf a lot of the time."
Evans played golf for Decatur High School in the early and mid-'70s, when opportunities for women golfers were few. Evans is also an Auburn alumna, graduating in 1981.
According to Evans, the women's golf team was then in its fledgling years, but provided a chance for some of the female athletes to get some recognition.
"We were pretty good," she said. "It's nothing like it is now because Title XI had just been put into place." Title XI was landmark legislation that banned gender discrimination in collegiate sports. Evans also said there were fewer places to practice when she was on the team.
"We played and practiced at Indian Pines," Evans said. "We didn't have Moore's Mill, Grand National or the University Club. There was only Saugahatchee and Indian Pines at the time. The opportunity to play golf in a tournament, like a junior's or a college tournament, was nothing like it is now."
Now, as a coach, Evans attributes much of her success to the kind of university Auburn is and the character of players that come here.
"I think Auburn is a great place for a young lady to come to college," she said. "It's a great campus that provides a great education. We have great facilities, and working with the individuals on the team creates a good balance of things that brings success. The hard work from the players is also a big part."
A lot of that work and dedication has resulted in former players making appearances on the LPGA tour.
"All of our girls that have tried have pretty much made it," Evans said. "We have had a lot of success with our girls playing at the professional and amateur level."
Prior to coaching at Auburn, Evans had a wide range of experience with the sport, which prepared her for a coaching position.
"I have been a long-time member of the PGA, and I have taught lessons," she said. "I had worked with the Atlanta Junior Golf Association and the American Junior Golf Association as a tournament director, so that went hand in hand with coaching."
Evans said her involvement with these organizations led to her first coaching position.
"I coached the men's team at Georgia Tech," Evans said. "I was the assistant men's coach there for six years before coming to Auburn."
An overall love for the game of golf has also been a big part of Evans' coaching career.
"I think golf is a lot like life," Evans said. "There is a lot of patience involved, and you have to take things one day at a time. You have to work on the mechanics of a golf swing, and you have to work on a great mental attitude. I like having to go through the process."
When not on the links as a player or coach, Evans can most likely be seen at an Auburn sporting event.
"I love anything athletic going on at Auburn," she said. "I went to school here, so I am a fan just as much as I am a coach or an employee."
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