Ted Gleason - Men's Golf Coach

Ted Gleason

Title:
Head Coach

Ted Gleason is in his fourth year at USC and now serves as head coach for the USC men[apos]s team after serving as coach for both the men[apos]s and women[apos]s teams the previous three seasons. Gleason works with Kurt Schuette, who is the director of golf, as well as assistant coach Dr. David Wright. Gleason has 16 years of golf experience, including five as a playing professional and seven as a coach. Prior to his head coaching duties Gleason assisted Andrea Gaston as the women[apos]s team captured its first national championship in USC history in 2003. Gleason also played an important role in helping guide the men[apos]s team to three straight NCAA Championship appearances, highlighted by a sixth-place showing last year, USC[apos]s best finish since 1995. Last year Gleason was also one of three finalists for the Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Gleason plays an integral role in player development on a day-to-day basis as he works with the men[apos]s team on their short game, mental perspective and course management skills. His playing and coaching experience has been successfully transferred into the overall improvement of the team. He is also recognized as one of the top recruiters in the country as he recruited or helped recruit some of the top juniors in the country during his time at SMU and at USC. The current recruiting class for the fall of 2006 was ranked No. 1 in the country by GolfWeek magazine. At SMU, Gleason was named the 2001 District VI Coach of the Year by Golfweek Magazine after leading his team to a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He also guided SMU to a berth in the 2002 NCAA Regional Championships and placed an individual into the NCAA Finals. He coached an All-American in both 2001 and 2002, as well as two Academic All-Americans in 2002. Gleason was an assistant coach for the Mustang men in 1999 and 2000, when he was also the interim women[apos]s head coach. Prior to coaching at SMU, Gleason was a professional golfer for five years (1994-1998). He competed on the Golden Bear Tour, the Asian Tour and the South American Tour, while twice reaching the second stage of the PGA Tour School and finishing third in the Canadian Match Play Championship. Gleason graduated from UCLA in 1993 with a degree in psychology. He was the Bruins[apos] team captain and No. 1 player as a 1993 senior while earning All-Pac-10 second team honors. He also was a U.S. Amateur qualifier and Match Play participant in 1992 & 1993; in 1992 he faced David Duval, losing 3&2 in the first round and in 1993 he met Tiger Woods only to lose on the 19th hole in the first round. Gleason, 36, and his wife Alicia have one son, Connor, who is 4, and a daughter, Riley, who is 2. The Gleasons reside in South Pasadena.