Derek Freeman - Men's Golf Coach

Derek Freeman

Title:
Head Coach
Alma Mater:
Oklahoma, '94
Year at UCLA:
15th in 2021-2022
Email:
dfreeman@athletics.ucla.edu

Guiding the UCLA men's golf team to a National Championship in 2008, Derek Freeman begins his 15th season as the Bruins' head coach in 2021-2022. In 14 seasons under Freeman, UCLA has claimed 28 tournament victories, earned 19 All-America honors and won two Jack Nicklaus Awards, bestowed to the top player in college golf.

Last season, the Bruins picked up a tournament title at the Lamkin San Diego Classic in Chula Vista, California. Devon Bling garnered his third tournament victory at the event where he opened with rounds of 4-under 68 and 3-under 69, finishing at 4-under 212. Bryan Wiyang Teoh and Eddy Lai rounded out UCLA's top three finishers, both posting scores of +3, 219. Bling had one other Top 3 finish at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate after posting a pair of scores in the 60s to finish the tournament at -7, 209.

During the 2019-2020 abbreviated season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a pair of Bruins picked up individual wins, as Eddy Lai won for the first time at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational, while Devon Bling claimed his second career win at the Bandon Dunes Championship, the final tournament before the season came to an end. As a team, UCLA had a pair of third-place finishes in its seven events. Bling, who led the Bruins with a 71.0 scoring average, was named a Third Team GCAA All-American, GCAA All-West Region and Pac-12 Golfer of the Month for March. (No season-ending Pac-12 Conference awards were given).

In 2018-2019, UCLA recorded back-to-back victories to open the month of April, winning the SeattleU Redhawk Invitational and the Wyoming Cowboy Classic, shooting a combined 60-under and going under par in all six rounds. The 37-under 815 total at the SeattleU Invite tied for the second-lowest, 54-hole tournament score in relation to par in school history. The Bruins also had medalists in both of those victories, as Hidetoshi Yoshihara won the SeattleU Redhawk Invitational, while Cole Madey won the Wyoming Cowboy Classic. Madey was named All-Pac-12 Second Team, Bling and Lai picked up Honorable Mention accolades and Sean Maruyama was recognized on the All-Freshman Team.

In April 2018, Freeman was named to the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Committee. His term will run from Sept. 1, 2018 through Aug. 31, 2022. In addition to evaluation, selection and seeding of the teams for the NCAA Tournament Regional fields, Freeman will serve as a site representative during the Regional rounds of play and at the Division I Men's Golf Championships final site.

In 2017-2018, UCLA posted its first team victory since 2015 at the Southwestern Invitational, capping a successful season that saw the squad record 10 Top 4 finishes, as well as a trip to the NCAA Championships. A pair of Bruins had the first individual wins of their careers, as Bling won the Jackrabbit Invitational, while Phil Delisi claimed the TMU Spring Invitational. Madey, who was named to the PING All-West Region Team and the All-Pac-12 Second Team, was the lone Bruin to advance to the final round of stroke play at the NCAAs. Madey led the Bruins in scoring average and had five Top 10s. In addition, Yoshihara was named All-Pac-12 Second Team, while Bling was recognized on the All-Freshman First Team.

In 2016-2017, the Bruins finished third in three tournaments and were under par as a team in seven different rounds, including all three at the Amer Ari Invitational. Three players were honored by the Pac-12, as Yoshihara, who won The Maxwell tournament, was named to the Second Team, while Madey and Tyler Collier earned Honorable Mention selections. Off the course, UCLA earned a GCAA Team Academic award, while Corey Shaun was named a GCAA All-American Scholar.

The Bruins recorded four Top 4 finishes in 2015-2016, including a second at the Amer Ari Invitational when they were under par as a team in every round. Two Bruins received All-Pac-12 honors, as Jonathan Garrick, who won the Erin Hills Intercollegiate, was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team, while Madey earned All-Pac-12 Freshman Team honors. After the season, Garrick earned status on the PGA's Mackenzie Tour, joining Jake Knapp and Manav Shah on the Canadian circuit. In addition, the Bruins received a GCAA Team Academic award, while Lorens Chan was named a GCAA All-American Scholar.

In 2014-2015, the Bruins won four times at the Husky Invitational, the Erin Hills Intercollegiate, the TMC Spring Invitational and the Gifford Collegiate, the latter being the fifth time UCLA has won its own tournament. Knapp was the medalist at the Husky Invite team competition, while Shah won the individual side. Matt Pinizzotto was also victorious at the TMC Spring Invitational. The Bruins rebounded from an eighth-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships to place fourth at NCAA Regionals and advance to the NCAA Championships for the 13th year in a row. UCLA made the quarterfinals of the NCAA Match Play Championships. Garrick was named GCAA Second Team All-America and First Team All-Pac-12. Chan earned Second Team All-Pac-12 honors and was also a GCAA All-American Scholar, while Shah was Honorable Mention All-Pac-12.

UCLA’s trip to the NCAA Match Play quarterfinals in 2015 was its second straight appearance after also reaching that mark a year prior. The Bruins claimed a tournament victory at the Redhawk Invitational late in the season and used that momentum to earn the final spot at the San Antonio NCAA Regional and the sixth position at stroke play at the NCAA Championships. Chan and Garrick were each named Honorable Mention All-America and Second Team All-Pac-12. Individually, Preston Valder claimed medalist honors at the Cal State San Marcos Fall Classic.

The Bruins enjoyed an outstanding season in 2012-2013 with four tournament victories, including a win at the Tempe NCAA Regional, UCLA’s third regional title under Freeman. The Bruins also won at the Stanford Classic, the Gifford Collegiate and the Amer Ari Invitational. Four players won a total of five individual titles, as Pedro Figueiredo won twice (The Prestige and the Western Intercollegiate), Garrick took the Cal Poly Invitational, Knapp won the Cal State San Marcos Spring Invitational and Pontus Widegren claimed the Cal State San Marcos Fall Classic. Widegren’s 70.4 scoring average set a single-season school record, as he played 31 rounds in 14-under par, which helped him earn Third Team All-America and First Team All-Pac-12 honors. Figueiredo was a Second Team All-America, First Team All-Pac-12 and earned his second straight GCAA All-America Scholar award. Garrick was Honorable Mention All-America and All-Pac-12, Shah earned Second Team All-Pac-12 and Anton Arboleda was named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12. As a team, the Bruins earned a GCAA All-Academic award.

In 2011-2012, Patrick Cantlay had an historic season, becoming the first Bruin to earn the Ben Hogan Award, given to the top golfer in all collegiate and amateur competitions. Cantlay, who also played in four professional tournaments as an amateur to retain his world No. 1 ranking, was a Second Team All-America, First Team All-Pac-12 and CoSIDA Academic All-America. All-America Scholar Figueiredo was also Second Team All-America and All-Pac-12, Widegren and Alex Kim were both Second Team All-Pac-12, Arboleda was Honorable Mention All-America and All-Pac-12 and Mario Clemens was All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention. The Bruins won twice at the U.S. Collegiate and Del Walker Match Play Championship, finished fourth at Pac-12’s, third at Regionals and tied for fifth at NCAA’s (Match Play Quarters). Individually, Figueiredo won the Cal Poly Invite, while Clemens claimed the Snowman Getaway.

UCLA won five times during the 2010-2011 campaign, including an NCAA Regional title, as Freeman was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year. Cantlay, the conference Golfer of the Year, was medalist at the West Regional with a score of 13-under. The Bruins also won the Gifford Collegiate, the Battle at the Beach and the Western Intercollegiate, and were also the leaders after stroke play at the NCAA Championship. Cantlay won four times (Gifford, Amer Ari, USC Intercollegiate), Widegren claimed the Fall Preview, Clemens was first at the Cal Poly Invite and Gregor Main won the Del Walker Intercollegiate. Cantlay was the Jack Nicklaus Award winner, as the nation’s top golfer, and also claimed the Phil Mickelson Award as the country’s best freshman and the Haskins Award. He was the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, First Team All-America and GCAA All-Freshman. Main was Third Team All-America and First Team All-Pac-10, Widegren earned Honorable Mention All-America and First Team All-Pac-10 accolades and Kim was All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention.

The Bruins won twice in 2009-2010 at the Battle at the Beach and the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters. Kim and Main were named Honorable Mention All-America, while Widegren earned GCAA All-Freshman Team plaudits. Kim was First Team All-Pac-10, while Figueiredo, Main and Widegren were Second Team.

UCLA’s lone victory during the 2008-2009 campaign came at the right time when it won the NCAA Central Regional. In addition, Erik Flores was the top individual at the U.S. Collegiate Championship. Flores was Second Team All-America and First Team All-Pac-10, while Main was All-America Honorable Mention, Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Second Team All-Pac-10 and GCAA All-Freshman.

Freeman’s coaching career began on the highest of notes, as UCLA won the 2008 NCAA Championship by one stroke over Stanford at Purdue’s Kampen Course. A key par by Kevin Chappell on the 72nd hole clinched the victory. Along with the team title, Chappell was the only player under par and the individual medalist (Arnold Palmer Award), the first for UCLA at the NCAA Championships.

Chappell was the Jack Nicklaus and Haskins Award winners and the Pac-10 Golfer of the Year, also earning First Team All-America and All-Pac-10 honors. Flores was Third Team All-America and First Team All-Pac-10, Lucas Lee was Second Team All-Pac-10 and Philip Francis earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 accolades. The Bruins won five times during Freeman’s maiden season at the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge, the Collegiate Match Play Championship, the CordeValle Collegiate and the Augusta State Invitational. Chappell was the top scorer at the PING/Arizona Intercollegiate, Flores claimed the CS Bakersfield Invite, James Lee tied for first at the CordeValle and Lucas Lee won the Augusta State Invite.

Freeman was named UCLA head men’s golf coach on July 16, 2007 after spending one season (2006-2007) as the Bruins’ assistant coach. Prior to his time in Westwood, Freeman was an assistant at his alma mater, Oklahoma, in 2005-2006, helping the Sooners to their first Big 12 Conference team title since Freeman’s sophomore season.

Freeman coached at Oklahoma City University for three seasons (2002-2005). He was an assistant for the men’s and women’s programs for the 2002-2003 campaign, helping lead OCU to 14 titles, including the men’s 2003 NAIA Championship. After that season, he was promoted to head coach of the OCU women’s program and guided the Stars to a 2005 NAIA National Championship, winning by 49 strokes, as Freeman was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year. OCU earned a 2004 runner-up finish, with Freeman receiving Regional COY accolades both seasons.

As a player in Norman, Freeman enjoyed a fine career, serving as the Sooners’ captain for three seasons (1992-1994). He earned All-Big Eight honors in 1994 and league academic plaudits in 1993. Freeman was a two-time Bruce Drake Award winner for the most improved player and won OU’s Jim Begwin Award for leadership and sportsmanship. He played in four Big Eight Conference Championships, including the 1992 event in which the Sooners won their first-ever league title. Freeman also played in four NCAA Regionals and Championships. Of his 51 collegiate appearances, he finished in the Top 30 25 times.

He received his degree in economics from Oklahoma in 1994 and later played two years on the Canadian, Mexican and Nike Tours. A rib injury forced him to change careers and he worked in the financial services industry for five years prior to entering the coaching ranks.

Freeman, his wife, Stephenie, and their two sons live in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Derek Freeman's UCLA Coaching Record

YEAR	EVENTS	WINS	TOP 5'S	TOP 10'S	PAC-10/12	REGIONALS	NCAA FINISH
2007-2008	15	5	14	15	4th	5th	1st
2008-2009	12	1	5	9	6th	1st	T-23rd
2009-2010	13	2	8	11	8th	3rd	T-16th
2010-2011	13	5	11	13	3rd	1st	T-5th
2011-2012	13	2	13	13	4th	3rd	T-5th
2012-2013	14	4	13	13	2nd	1st	26th
2013-2014	13	1	9	12	7th	5th	T-5th
2014-2015	14	4	8	14	8th	4th	T-5th
2015-2016	11	0	4	8	8th	10th	n/a
2016-2017	12	0	5	9	5th	n/a	n/a
2017-2018	14	1	10	12	6th	4th	T-21st
2018-2019	13	2	7	12	2nd	8th	n/a
2019-2020	7	0	4	7	canceled	canceled	canceled
TOTALS	164	27	111	148	--	3 Titles	1 Title