Assistant Coach Chris Nallen to Pursue Professional Career
TUCSON, Ariz. – University of Arizona Men's Golf assistant coach Chris Nallen has left his position on staff to pursue professional playing opportunities. The Arizona All-American returned to his alma mater as assistant coach prior to the 2013-14 season and aided the Wildcats' growth and development as a program as a member of head coach Jim Anderson's staff.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to coach at the University of Arizona for the last eight years," Nallen said. "It was a rewarding experience, and it was great to be on the other side of things and gain perspective. I look forward to watching Arizona Men's Golf win more championships in the years to come."
Arizona Men's Golf's 2021 season highlighted the program's resurgence by winning its first Pac-12 Championship since 2004 with Brad Reeves winning Arizona's first individual Pac-12 title since 2008. The team's win at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships marked the third tournament won by the team for the season.
"On behalf of Arizona Men's Golf, I'd like to thank Chris for everything he has done for our program," Anderson said. "His historical place in our program started with his tremendous career as a student-athlete, and he built upon that legacy during his eight seasons as an assistant coach. He's an outstanding coach and has become a great friend. I loved coaching with him and appreciated the great perspective he provided. As he pursues his passion for our game, we know he will continue to make our program proud. He will always have a home here at the University of Arizona as a Wildcat great, and we will be cheering him on during the next chapter of his journey."
The banner spring season earned the Wildcats a dominating share of the conference's postseason awards as Jim Anderson was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year and Brad Reeves was Pac-12 Player of the Year. Anderson and Reeves were part of a Wildcat contingent that received a total of seven conference awards.
The Wildcats qualified for NCAA Regionals in each of Nallen's final three seasons on staff, marking the first time in nearly 15 years to program reached NCAA postseason play in three consecutive seasons.