May 8, 2008

LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech men's assistant golf coach Marty McCauley has been named a finalist for the 2008 Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year Award, announced today by the Golf Coaches Association of America. The honor is presented annually by TaylorMade-adidas Golf,

McCauley, a third-year assistant under head coach Greg Sands, had an immediate positive impact on the program in his first season at Texas Tech and continues to be a positive influence. He has contributed to the development of several Red Raiders, including Santiago Rivas, Garrett Merrell and Will Griffin, all of whom will participate in the NCAA West Regional next week. The Red Raiders are making their third-straight trip to regional play with McCauley on staff and are looking for their second-consecutive NCAA Championships appearance.

"Marty was an obvious addition to our staff three years ago and his hard work and dedication to Texas Tech and the game of golf are finally being recognized," Sands said. "He has been a positive influence on the guys and is one of the integral parts of where our team is today."

The Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year Award is given to the NCAA Division I, II, III or NAIA assistant coach that, among other things, has excelled in working with their student-athletes both on the course and in the classroom. Along with the award, the recipient is allowed the opportunity to further their professional development by being a guest of TaylorMade-adidas Golf at the PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit as well as an invitation to the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Kingdom in Carlsbad, Calif. The winner will be announced in late May.