March 6, 2007
It has been suggested by those familiar with Fayetteville State University's successes on the golf green that the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) should rename the conference's Coach of the Year and the conference's championship trophies after Raymond McDougal. When you take a look at his accomplishments you would understand why. Since assuming leadership of the golf program in 1993, Coach McDougal has won the Coach of the Year Award 10 times. Broncos golfers have won 23 CIAA titles, twelve coming under Coach McDougal's leadership.
McDougal is the only coach of a Fayetteville State University athletic program to win a national title, a feat he has accomplished three times. The 1995 and 1996 golf teams won back-to-back PGA National Minority Intercollegiate Golf Championships. In 2006, under his leadership, the golf team captured the PGA National title for the third time. Two golfers won individual PGA National titles. In 2005, John Azzarelli was the first to accomplish the feat and in 2006 Ian Milne repeated the accomplishment. Four members of the golf program have been selected All-Americans. The roster is comprised of mostly retired military personal and high school graduates from the Cape Fear Region. In 1998, when the CIAA went to the Eastern and Western Division format for golf, the team won seven Eastern Division Golf titles and nine Western Division Tournament Championships.
Winning is a tradition with Coach McDougal. He was named NAIA Football Coach of the Year three-times (1971, 1973, 1975) and CIAA Football Coach of the Year in 1975. He also coached the men's basketball team in 1988-1989 which made an outstanding run for the CIAA Basketball Championship. The "Coach for Any Season," known by his peers, coached football at Fayetteville State University from 1970-1979 and again from 1989-1991. Darrell Armstrong, one of Fayetteville State University's most successful basketball players, played under McDougal during the 1988-1991 seasons.
The Johnson C. Smith University graduate was inducted into the Johnson C. Smith and Fayetteville State University Hall of Fame. He has been involved in athletics at Fayetteville State since 1970 when he was given the task of taking the golf program to the next level - a varsity sport in the CIAA. McDougal admits golf is his best sport, although he played other sports while attending Johnson C. Smith. He will also tell you that most of his golfers already know how to play golf and it's not about teaching, it's getting them mentally prepared to play. McDougal spent much of his time on golf courses when he was growing up. He gained his expertise by observing professional and listening to what they were saying. "In past years, we (the golf program) have made tremendous successes," said McDougal, a former assistant professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Human Services. "It's great to see student-athletes come around and accomplish the best in themselves. The successes of the program are an advantage for our program."
A Summary of McDougal's Golf Accomplishments
• CIAA Golf Championships 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 • 2nd Place CIAA Championships 1997, 2000 • CIAA Eastern Division Championships 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 • 2nd Place Eastern Division Champions 2001, (Tournament not held in 2000) • CIAA Western Division Championships 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 • 2nd Place Western Division Championships 2002 • PGA National Minority, College Division, Golf Championships 1995, 1996, 2005 • 2nd Place PGA National Minority, College Division, Golf Championships 2004, 2005 • 3rd Place PGA National Minority, College Division, Golf Championships 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 • 4th Place PGA National Minority, College Division, Golf Championships 1997, 2000 • Sears Championship Trophy 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 • NCAA Regional Playoffs 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 • NAIA Football Coach of the Year 1971, 1973, 1975 • CIAA Football Coach of the Year 1975 • First Golf Varsity Coach 1970
