Ohio State Announces Lisa Strom As Head Women’s Golf Coach

Ohio State announced Lisa Strom as the sixth head coach in the history of the women’s golf team, following her time leading the Texas State and Kent State programs.

Strom returns to Ohio State for the third time in her career. She played for the women’s golf team from 1995-1999 and was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes from 2011-2016.

“It’s just a dream come true to be able to come back to my alma mater and return to Columbus,” Strom said. “It just feels like home, and I’m super excited. I don’t think I can fully put it into words. I now get a chance to return to the university that has given me so much.”

Strom will run the women’s golf program, replacing her former coach and most recent head women’s golf coach Therese Hession, who will remain the director of golf for both the men’s and women’s programs.

Hession coached the women’s program since 1991 and led the Buckeyes to 11 Big Ten Championships and 25 Regional appearances. In 2018, Ohio State promoted her to the director of golf.

“I am thrilled to have Lisa Strom rejoin our golf program,” Hession said. “Her knowledge and now 10 years of coaching experience will benefit both our men’s and women’s golf teams in a big way.”

As an Ohio State assistant coach, Strom helped lead the program to six straight NCAA Regional appearances and four trips to the NCAA Championships. The Buckeyes won nine tournaments, including three consecutive Big Ten Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

“We’re thrilled to welcome coach Strom back to Columbus,” executive associate athletic director Dan Cloran said in a statement. “She is one of the brightest coaches in the game of golf and has made a positive impact on the programs she’s been associated with.”

Following her time as an assistant at Ohio State, Strom went to Texas State for three seasons. She led the program to two tournament titles and a runner-up finish at the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championship. In her last year with the Bobcats, Strom’s team set seven school records and finished with the highest final season ranking in program history.

Strom then returned to Ohio to coach Kent State, one of the top programs in the area. In two seasons, she led the team to nine tournament titles and won the program’s 22nd consecutive MAC championship. Strom and the Golden Flashes competed in the NCAA Regional at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course in May, finishing tied for fifth in an 18-team field, advancing to the NCAA Championships.

Strom’s Ohio State career includes two All-Big Ten honors and four Academic All-Big Ten honors. She was a 1999 Big Ten Championship team and finished first at the 2000 NCAA East Regional Championship.

As a professional from 2000-2011, Strom played 50 LPGA-sponsored on the LPGA tour. In 2007, she earned a career-best finish of 13th at the Navistar LPGA Classic. Strom also competed on the Futures Tour for seven seasons, with her best finish being second at the 2002 El Paso Futures Golf Cassic. She is a three-time winner of the Ohio Women’s Open and two-time champion of the Michigan Women’s Open.

Strom’s experience as a golfer and member coach will help the Buckeyes establish itself as one of the premier golf programs in the north. She will also look to lead Ohio State to its first national title, a feat not yet accomplished in the program’s 40-year history.