Feature: Derrick Thompson UCO Men’s Golf Coach

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Men’s Golf coach, Derrick Thompson, was named MIAA (Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association) conference coach of the year back in 2021.

He arrived at UCO after seven years as the men’s and women’s program director at Iowa Western Community College. 

He led the two schools to a total of 43 tournament victories over seven seasons, including five apiece for the men’s and women’s teams in 2021. 

He led his IWCC teams to over 20 national tournament berths and coached over a dozen All-Americans. He has also coached NJCAA national champions in men’s and women’s golf.

Thompson formerly served as the head men’s and women’s coach at North Idaho College. He also qualified his teams for the national tournament and led several student-athletes to All-American status. 

In Thompson’s first year as head coach, in just their fourth tournament, UCO finished first at the Holiday Inn Express Invitational. UCO finished in the top 10 in every tournament that year. UCO had one all-MIAA performer. The team qualified for the NCAA Super regional, finishing 20th.

In his second year, Thompson led the Bronchos to 10 more Top 10 results, including seven Top 5 performances. Finishing third and sixth before winning the Broncho Invitational at Rose Creek in March.

 UCO finished third and fifth in the next two tournaments, qualifying for another Super Regional appearance, finishing 14th. Thompson led two All-MIAA choices in his second season. 

Thompson’s team took off in his third year, winning three straight tournaments before the conference championship tournament.

 UCO finished first in the NCAA Regional championship for the first time in almost 10 years. 

UCO had the second-lowest 54-hole score (823) and tied for the lowest 18-hole score (267 final round) in school history. 

UCO finished third in the NCAA division two championship and fell to Colorado Christian in the match-play quarterfinals. Thompson coached three All-Americans in his third season.

Thompson on how he improves as a coach every year:

“I’m just constantly trying to find ways to adapt and do things better. At the end of each season, I evaluate decisions and plans that were used to see if there was maybe a better way to do it. I’m also trying to find better ways to understand what my players are going through on and off the golf course so that I can support them and allow them to perform at their highest level,” Thompson said.  

In Thompson’s fourth year, UCO won seven tournaments, including the MIAA championship and NCAA regional championship.

This is the first conference championship UCO has won since the 2017 season.  UCO finished ninth in the NCAA Division II championship. Thompson had four all-Americans on the team.

In Thompson’s fifth year, he led UCO to another conference championship. UCO had five of the 15-person All-MIAA honors. Including the MIAA golfer of the year, Nick Canales. They won five total tournaments this year.

UCO has finished in the top nine in every tournament this season, including six first-place finishes.

Coach Thompson’s team will compete in the NCAA Central/Midwest Regional Championship in a three-day tournament beginning on May 7 in Big Rapids, Michigan, at Katke Golf Course.