DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Golf Coach Betty Kaufmann to Retire Following 2016-17 Season
4/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S GOLF
CHICAGO - Longtime DePaul golf coach Betty Kaufmann announced today that she is retiring following the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. Kaufmann and the Blue Demons play at the BIG EAST Championship starting Sunday in Okatie, S.C.
"I want to thank DePaul for the tremendous opportunity to work for such a great institution all these years. My time here was enjoyable, engaging, challenging and rewarding," said Kaufmann. "The environment at DePaul allows you to learn every day from tremendous coaches, faculty and staff as well as our student-athletes. I want to personally thank all the student-athletes who played for me and helped to grow the program. It was a pleasure and privilege to work with all of you over the years. I look forward to following the program and wish Marty much success in taking Blue Demon golf to the next level. Thank you all for your support."
Kaufmann is in her 19th season leading the Blue Demons and she has taken the DePaul golf program to new heights on and off the course during her tenure. While recently posting top team finished in BIG EAST Championship play including a program-best second-place finish in 2015, DePaul is annually among the top academic programs in the country with four "Academic National Championships" as awarded by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Her teams were named Academic National Champions in 2014-15, 2013-14, 2011-12, 2010-11 and 2009-10 while also earning the BIG EAST Conference's team academic award in those seasons.
While running the day-to-day operations of the program, Kaufmann also spearheaded the evolution of DePaul's partnership with Ruffled Feathers GC in Lemont, Ill., that afforded the program a dedicated practice facility and home course to host the annual John Dallio Memorial tournament each fall.
"Betty has contributed mightily to our men's golf program," said athletics director Jean Lenti Ponsetto. "Scholarships for our student-athletes, an indoor facility on campus and our partnership with Ruffled Feathers were all completed with her energy and enthusiasm for providing our young men with all the tools necessary for us to aim towards championship golf."
Marty Schiene will take over the program for Kaufmann after joining the staff as the assistant coach in August 2016. The former PGA tour participant and NCAA All-American brings more than 30 years of golf knowledge to the Blue Demon program.
"I am very excited to take on the role as the head coach of the DePaul men's golf team," said Schiene. "I hope to build on the tremendous success coach Kaufmann has had over the years in keeping a high academic standard and being a very competitive golf team. It's a dream come true to become part of the Blue Demon family."
Prior to joining Kaufmann last summer, Schiene spent a season as an assistant coach at Loyola-Chicago after five season as head coach at Chicago State. Before he joined the collegiate coaching ranks, Schiene competed for 15 years on the Canadian, South African, Asian and Australian Tours. He was a member of the PGA Tour in 1993. He competed in four U.S. Opens and won the Illinois Open three times. He also won the 1997 Nevada Open and took home the Dunes Invitational title twice.