MerriLyn Gibbs is in her fourth year as the head coach of the California University women's golf team. She led the Vulcans to the top spot among women's teams in the PSAC Championship in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The team has also received the bid to the NCAA Regional Championship in 2006 and 2007.
The Vulcans have received rankings as high as No. 3 in the nation, according to GolfState during the fall 2008 season. She also has coached two-time All-American Simone DeSouza as she participated in the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2007 and 2008.
Originally, Cal President Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr. named Gibbs as the director of the Vulcans men's and women's golf programs, which began varsity competition in Sept. 2005. In 2006, she relinquished her duties with the men's team to concentrate her energies on the women's program.
"MerriLyn Gibbs was the unanimous first choice of the Search Committee," Armenti said. “She has all the professional qualifications we were looking for in the candidate to build strong men's and women's golf programs.'
Gibbs, who is also enrolled in Cal U.'s Sports Management master's degree program, led the Vulcans to the top spot among women's teams at the PSAC Championships in each of the past two seasons. The men's team placed sixth at the PSAC Championship in 2005, and both teams were among the top three in several tournaments during the regular season.
Gibbs, a graduate of Brigham Young University, served as the men's and women's golf coach at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. She was charged with reviving a Cal men's golf program that was cut more than two decades ago and starting the Vulcans’ first women’s golf team.
While at Dakota Wesleyan, Gibbs guided the men’s and women’s teams to Top 5 finishes in six of seven tournaments in the 2004-05 season, including one tournament title for each team. She also taught golf classes in the Physical Educiation Department.
Gibbs, who graduated from BYU in 2001 a bachelor’s degree in American studies, previously worked at three golf clubs in Idaho and Utah. She was the assistant pro and director of all teaching programs at Purple Sage Golf Course in Caldwell, Idaho. She was also the Idaho tournament director of the U.S. Kids National Championship.
She began her collegiate career at Boise State University, where she was the medalist at two tournaments her freshman season. She was named the 1996 Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year while at Boise State. She then transferred to BYU and was a three-year member of the program.
Gibbs is a Class A PGA Professional. She was the 2000 Idaho Amateur Player of the Year and the Idaho State Match Play Champion in 1998 and 2000. She also won the Idaho Tournament of Champions title in 1998 and 2000 and was the bronze medalist in the 2000 Idaho State Stroke Play Tournament.
