Alicia Um Holmes Named New UCLA Women’s Golf Head Coach
May 25, 2023 | Women's Golf
LOS ANGELES – UCLA Athletics has announced Alicia Um Holmes as the next head coach of the women's golf team. Um Holmes, who spent the last 17 years as an assistant and associate head coach for the Bruins, becomes the fifth head coach in the program's history.
"I am excited, honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to be the next leader of our women's golf program," Um Holmes said. "Most of my adult life has been at UCLA living the dream, and to be able to continue to do so as head coach is surreal. I want to thank Martin Jarmond for putting his faith in me and Chris Carlson for his unwavering support. A special thank you to my mentor, coach and friend, Carrie Forsyth, who has been my champion and who I owe everything to. I look forward to the challenge of following her footsteps, winning championships and upholding our high level of academic excellence."
Alongside retired UCLA head coach Carrie Forsyth, Um Holmes helped guide the Bruins to the 2011 NCAA Championship, five NCAA Regional titles and two Pac-12 Championships. Beginning her first year as an assistant in 2006, Um Holmes and Forsyth went on a dominant run of five consecutive seasons, with top three finishes at both the conference championships and Regionals. They placed top three at nationals in four of those five years.
"Alicia has instilled our student-athletes with a drive for competitive excellence in her previous 17 years as an assistant," said UCLA's Alice and Nahum Lainer Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond. "She knows our elite culture and history, having competed as a student-athlete at UCLA and leading the Bruins to a National Championship as a coach in 2011. I am ecstatic to name Alicia as our new head coach."
Um Holmes and Forsyth have produced two ANNIKA Award winners, which is annually given to the top female Division I collegiate golfer, in Alison Lee (2014) and Bronte Law (2016), as well as two PING WGCA Player of the Year honorees in Law (2016) and Lilia Vu (2018). Ten UCLA golfers have hauled in 20 WGCA First-Team All-American Awards since Um Holmes has been on the coaching staff. Most recently, Emma Spitz became the fourth player in program history to be named to the first team three times in a career.
No school has won more Pac-10/12 Golfer of the Year awards than UCLA since Um Holmes has been on staff, with four Bruin golfers taking home the honor five times. UCLA's four Pac-10/12 Newcomer of the Year awards since 2006 trail only one school. Um Holmes has also coached 32 All-Pac-12 First Team selections, second-best in the Pac-12, and has been a part of 54 UCLA tournament victories.
Following the 2013-14 season, Um Holmes was voted the WGCA Assistant Coach of the Year. That year, the Bruins won the NCAA Regional in Stillwater, Oklahoma and placed third at nationals.
Several of Um Holmes and Forsyth's golfers are flourishing in the professional ranks. Current LPGA stars who Um Holmes helped recruit to UCLA are Law, Lee, Vu, Patty Tavatanakit, Ryann O'Toole and Mariajo Uribe.
Um Holmes was a student-athlete at UCLA from 1997-02, playing three seasons under Forsyth and one year for UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Jackie Steinmann before graduating with a degree in economics. Um earned All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention accolades when she tied for 12th place at the Pac-10 Championship her senior season in 2002. She averaged a career-best 75.7 scoring average in 32 rounds, with three top 20 finishes that year. In her UCLA career, Um made 37 starts, played 107 rounds and averaged 77.2.
She and her husband, Steve, reside in Simi Valley, California.
"I am excited, honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to be the next leader of our women's golf program," Um Holmes said. "Most of my adult life has been at UCLA living the dream, and to be able to continue to do so as head coach is surreal. I want to thank Martin Jarmond for putting his faith in me and Chris Carlson for his unwavering support. A special thank you to my mentor, coach and friend, Carrie Forsyth, who has been my champion and who I owe everything to. I look forward to the challenge of following her footsteps, winning championships and upholding our high level of academic excellence."
Alongside retired UCLA head coach Carrie Forsyth, Um Holmes helped guide the Bruins to the 2011 NCAA Championship, five NCAA Regional titles and two Pac-12 Championships. Beginning her first year as an assistant in 2006, Um Holmes and Forsyth went on a dominant run of five consecutive seasons, with top three finishes at both the conference championships and Regionals. They placed top three at nationals in four of those five years.
"Alicia has instilled our student-athletes with a drive for competitive excellence in her previous 17 years as an assistant," said UCLA's Alice and Nahum Lainer Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond. "She knows our elite culture and history, having competed as a student-athlete at UCLA and leading the Bruins to a National Championship as a coach in 2011. I am ecstatic to name Alicia as our new head coach."
Um Holmes and Forsyth have produced two ANNIKA Award winners, which is annually given to the top female Division I collegiate golfer, in Alison Lee (2014) and Bronte Law (2016), as well as two PING WGCA Player of the Year honorees in Law (2016) and Lilia Vu (2018). Ten UCLA golfers have hauled in 20 WGCA First-Team All-American Awards since Um Holmes has been on the coaching staff. Most recently, Emma Spitz became the fourth player in program history to be named to the first team three times in a career.
No school has won more Pac-10/12 Golfer of the Year awards than UCLA since Um Holmes has been on staff, with four Bruin golfers taking home the honor five times. UCLA's four Pac-10/12 Newcomer of the Year awards since 2006 trail only one school. Um Holmes has also coached 32 All-Pac-12 First Team selections, second-best in the Pac-12, and has been a part of 54 UCLA tournament victories.
Following the 2013-14 season, Um Holmes was voted the WGCA Assistant Coach of the Year. That year, the Bruins won the NCAA Regional in Stillwater, Oklahoma and placed third at nationals.
Several of Um Holmes and Forsyth's golfers are flourishing in the professional ranks. Current LPGA stars who Um Holmes helped recruit to UCLA are Law, Lee, Vu, Patty Tavatanakit, Ryann O'Toole and Mariajo Uribe.
Um Holmes was a student-athlete at UCLA from 1997-02, playing three seasons under Forsyth and one year for UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Jackie Steinmann before graduating with a degree in economics. Um earned All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention accolades when she tied for 12th place at the Pac-10 Championship her senior season in 2002. She averaged a career-best 75.7 scoring average in 32 rounds, with three top 20 finishes that year. In her UCLA career, Um made 37 starts, played 107 rounds and averaged 77.2.
She and her husband, Steve, reside in Simi Valley, California.
Players Mentioned
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