Legendary UCLA Coach Eddie Merrins Passes Away
November 22, 2023 | Men's Golf
Legendary UCLA men's golf coach and teaching professional Eddie Merrins passed away peacefully on the morning of Nov. 22 in Los Angeles at the age of 91.
Affectionately known as the "The Little Pro", Merrins developed the UCLA men's golf program into one of the best in the country in his 14 years as head coach from 1975 to 1989. He built the program from the ground up, culminating in the Bruins' first NCAA Championship in 1988. Merrins guided UCLA to three Pac-10 Conference titles in 1982, 1983 and 1985, and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year twice.
A member of the UCLA and Golf Coaches Association Halls of Fame, Merrins is the program's all-time winningest coach with 64 wins during his time in Westwood. His golfers won 10 All-American awards and two NCAA Players of the Year awards in Corey Pavin and Duffy Waldorf.
Merrins produced three UCLA Hall of Famers during his coaching career. Many of his players went on to have successful professional careers, including Pavin, Waldorf and Steve Pate.
Merrins was the first to champion golf at UCLA in a major way. In 1979, Merrins pioneered the "Friends of Collegiate Golf" non-profit organization, now known as "Friends of Golf", to support junior golf in Southern California. In 1981, Merrins secured the first major contribution to the UCLA program, and three years later, instituted the first college golf scholarship at UCLA. Originally founded to support UCLA men's golf, FOG's great success allowed Merrins to fund and grow the sport at neighboring Southern California colleges and high schools. To this day, FOG has donated over $10 million to youth golfers across the country.
He also worked in close association with UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden and convened often for walks at Drake Stadium. With Wooden's help, Merrins was one of the first collegiate golf coaches to institute training programs to condition his student-athletes.
Beloved among the golf community, Merrins was one of the greatest instructors in the sport with his wisdom touching generations of the world's top players. Merrins was the longtime head professional at Bel-Air Country Club from 1962 to 2003 and often visited the club into his 90s. At Bel-Air, Merrins gave countless lessons to junior, collegiate and professional golfers as well as Hollywood stars. His presence, both as the club emeritus at Bel-Air and while representing UCLA, was unmistakable, always donning his trademark snow-white driving cap and tie. The famous swinging bridge on Bel-Air's 10th hole was dedicated in Merrins' honor in 2015. For his significant teaching contributions and his landmark book, "Swing the Handle, Not the Clubhead" (1973), Merrins was inducted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame and PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame.
Merrins' UCLA coaching career began with a meeting with the late former UCLA Chancellor Charles E. Young. With approval from Bel-Air Country Club, Merrins happily accepted the job, which allowed him to keep his competitive spirt alive from his playing days on the PGA Tour.
Merrins also enjoyed a lengthy professional career, playing in over 200 tournaments on the PGA Tour with two wins in 1961 at the Metropolitan PGA Championship and Long Island Open. In 2009, Merrins was elected into the PGA America Hall of Fame. Merrins was an outstanding collegiate golfer at Louisiana State University where he won the Southeastern Conference title twice in 1953 and 1954 and finished runner-up at the NCAA Championships in 1952. A three-time All-American for the Tigers, Merrins was enshrined in the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Merrins was born August 4, 1932 in Meridian, Mississippi. He won three state amateur titles in 1950, 1953 and 1955, and was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
Merrins is survived by his wife Lisa, two sons Mason and Michael and daughter Randy.
Affectionately known as the "The Little Pro", Merrins developed the UCLA men's golf program into one of the best in the country in his 14 years as head coach from 1975 to 1989. He built the program from the ground up, culminating in the Bruins' first NCAA Championship in 1988. Merrins guided UCLA to three Pac-10 Conference titles in 1982, 1983 and 1985, and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year twice.
A member of the UCLA and Golf Coaches Association Halls of Fame, Merrins is the program's all-time winningest coach with 64 wins during his time in Westwood. His golfers won 10 All-American awards and two NCAA Players of the Year awards in Corey Pavin and Duffy Waldorf.
Merrins produced three UCLA Hall of Famers during his coaching career. Many of his players went on to have successful professional careers, including Pavin, Waldorf and Steve Pate.
Merrins was the first to champion golf at UCLA in a major way. In 1979, Merrins pioneered the "Friends of Collegiate Golf" non-profit organization, now known as "Friends of Golf", to support junior golf in Southern California. In 1981, Merrins secured the first major contribution to the UCLA program, and three years later, instituted the first college golf scholarship at UCLA. Originally founded to support UCLA men's golf, FOG's great success allowed Merrins to fund and grow the sport at neighboring Southern California colleges and high schools. To this day, FOG has donated over $10 million to youth golfers across the country.
He also worked in close association with UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden and convened often for walks at Drake Stadium. With Wooden's help, Merrins was one of the first collegiate golf coaches to institute training programs to condition his student-athletes.
Beloved among the golf community, Merrins was one of the greatest instructors in the sport with his wisdom touching generations of the world's top players. Merrins was the longtime head professional at Bel-Air Country Club from 1962 to 2003 and often visited the club into his 90s. At Bel-Air, Merrins gave countless lessons to junior, collegiate and professional golfers as well as Hollywood stars. His presence, both as the club emeritus at Bel-Air and while representing UCLA, was unmistakable, always donning his trademark snow-white driving cap and tie. The famous swinging bridge on Bel-Air's 10th hole was dedicated in Merrins' honor in 2015. For his significant teaching contributions and his landmark book, "Swing the Handle, Not the Clubhead" (1973), Merrins was inducted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame and PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame.
Merrins' UCLA coaching career began with a meeting with the late former UCLA Chancellor Charles E. Young. With approval from Bel-Air Country Club, Merrins happily accepted the job, which allowed him to keep his competitive spirt alive from his playing days on the PGA Tour.
Merrins also enjoyed a lengthy professional career, playing in over 200 tournaments on the PGA Tour with two wins in 1961 at the Metropolitan PGA Championship and Long Island Open. In 2009, Merrins was elected into the PGA America Hall of Fame. Merrins was an outstanding collegiate golfer at Louisiana State University where he won the Southeastern Conference title twice in 1953 and 1954 and finished runner-up at the NCAA Championships in 1952. A three-time All-American for the Tigers, Merrins was enshrined in the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Merrins was born August 4, 1932 in Meridian, Mississippi. He won three state amateur titles in 1950, 1953 and 1955, and was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
Merrins is survived by his wife Lisa, two sons Mason and Michael and daughter Randy.
UCLA Men’s Golf Interview - Coach Armen Kirakossian, B1G Today (May 16, 2025)
Saturday, May 17
UCLA Men’s Golf Interview – Coach Armen Kirakossian, B1G Today (May 16, 2025)
Friday, May 16
Omar Morales Press Conference - Latin America Amateur Championships (Jan. 20, 2024)
Saturday, January 20
Veterans Golf Clinic
Wednesday, January 22