Rice’s Justin Emil named C-USA Golf Coach of the Year

Golfer Kevin Reilly Freshman of the Year

By Charles Cochrum

On the heels of the team’s first Conference USA championship (C-USA), Rice University men’s head golf coach Justin Emil was named the 2014 C-USA Coach of the Year and Kevin Reilly claimed Freshman of the Year honors, the league office announced May 6.

Justin Emil

In his third season leading the program, Emil coached his squad to eight top-10 team finishes this season. The Owls improved by 5.25 strokes per round as a team over 2012-13, including four top-10 finishes. A league-high nine golfers earned places on the Conference USA Commissioners’ Honors Roll this season, including a pair of C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal winners in Trey Johnson and Paul Saad.

Emil also led the Owls through adversity in grieving the loss of former teammate James Ragan, who inspired the entire Rice community but died on the first day of the spring season after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Rice’s win at the C-USA Championship was its first in nine years in the league. The victory also marked the team’s first tournament win since 2010 and its first conference championship since 1939..

Reilly, who also netted second-team all-conference honors, leads the Owls in stroke average (72.56) and is one of just two players to compete in all 32 rounds in 2013-14. He was named the league’s Golfer of the Week on Feb. 26 after taking ninth place at the Bayou City Collegiate Championship with a 71-71-69 — 211 (-5).

His 66 in the final round at The Invitational at The Ocean course in October was the third-lowest round score in program history. The round also established a tournament record. In 11 tournaments in his rookie campaign, the Oviedo, Fla., native led Rice seven times and ranked second on the squad twice more.

Reilly turned in his top finish of the season last week in Edmond, Okla. He tied for fourth place with a 70-69-74 — 213 (+3) at Oak Tree Country Club to mark his fourth top-10 finish of the year.

UAB’s Paul Dunne earned Golfer of the Year honors, and East Carolina’s Wes Conover was named the league’s top newcomer.