Runion and Rather have brought the LSU women’s golf program to a new national prominence in an age when college golf is getting more media exposure than any time in its history.
“It truly is an incredible honor to be selected as an assistant coach for Team USA in the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup,” said Rather. “Mr. Palmer has done so much to grow the game of golf and to be a small part of this incredible event which honors his legacy is very humbling.”
The Tigers have been to the NCAA Championships in Scottsdale each of the last three seasons, earning a spot in the top 15 in all three events. The Tigers were one of just five teams to advance to the championships in all three years at that location.
In the 2022 SEC Championship. LSU finished second in the team qualifying, and then in match play, defeated Vanderbilt, 4-1, Alabama 3-1-1 and won the championship match over Florida, 3-0-2.
For the second straight year Runion was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2023 after leading the Tigers to four wins, a semifinal spot in the SEC Match Play and a rallying finish in the final eight holes at the NCAA Regional to advance to the third straight Championship.
Runion and Rather’s roster currently includes five-year stars Ingrid Lindblad, a 13-time collegiate winner and ranked No. 1 in the present World Amateur Golf Rankings; and, No. 20 Latanna Stone, who reached the finals of the 2023 U.S. Amateur. The team includes Aine Donegan, who made the cut at this year’s U.S. Women’s Open and four-year player Carla Tejedo, who has been a part of two Spanish amateur team title runs in the last couple of years.
LSU finished No. 3 in the final 2022-23 WGCA Mizuno Coaches Poll. The Tigers posted one of the lowest averages in school history at 286.65 for 34 rounds. LSU was ranked No. 1 preseason at the start of the 2023-24 season by Golfweek magazine.
Prior to being named LSU women’s head coach, Runion spent six seasons as the LSU men’s golf assistant coach (2012-18). A 2008 LSU graduate and three-year letter winner for the Tigers, Runion was instrumental in the LSU men’s team’s return to national prominence since joining then Coach Chuck Winstead’s men’s staff prior to the 2012-13 season.
The LSU men’s team finished in the Top 10 at the men’s NCAA National Championships in four consecutive seasons from 2013-17. The 2014-15 season was one for the ages in the history of LSU men’s golf as the Tigers staked their claim as the premier program in college golf with a 4-1 win over USC to win the NCAA national title. It was the program’s fifth national championship all-time and the first in 60 years.
From 2010-12, Runion was at Nova Southeastern and as head coach in 2012, won the NCAA Division II title, as he earned Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year and Eaton Golf Pride South Region Coach of the Year honors.
A native of Orlando, Florida, Runion called Baton Rouge and LSU home from 2003-08. Runion graduated from LSU in May 2008 with his Bachelor of Arts & Science degree in general studies. Runion and his wife, Meghan, have one son, Reid, aka “Rocket”, and daughters, Riley and Raegan.
Rather, who starred as a player at LSU, was recognized for her work efforts and abilities as well at the conclusion of the 2023 season as she was named the national Assistant Coach of the Year by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association.
She was the assistant coach on the Tiger women’s golf team that finished a program best third in the NCAA Championships in both 2011 and 2012 and she has continued to recruit some of the world’s top recruits to come to Baton Rouge, including ANNIKA Award finalists Madelene Sagstrom (2015) and Lindblad (2020, 2022).
Since Rather joined the staff in the fall of 2010, LSU has made 10 NCAA Tournament team appearances and sent two individuals in the other seasons.
Rather assists with planning running practice routines, and coaching on the course for tournament. She has also played a vital role in LSU’s recruiting efforts.
Rather served two years as an assistant coach at Ole Miss before beginning her professional tenure at LSU. At Ole Miss, she helped guide the Rebels back to postseason play as the women’s golf team earned the Chancellor’s Cup for the women’s varsity team at Ole Miss with the highest grade point average.
The native of Tupelo, Mississippi, was a four-year letter winner at LSU, appeared in two NCAA Women’s Golf Championships as a player and was a four-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar.
Rather, a two-time First-Team All-Louisiana golfer, had three top-10 finishes in her 2008 senior season. That year, she also chipped in for the only birdie in a sudden death playoff for the eighth and final qualifying spot at the NCAA East Regional that propelled LSU to the NCAA Women’s Championships.
She graduated from LSU in July 2007 with an honors degree in communications and her master’s in sports management from LSU in 2008.
