By Byron Beers/Staff Writer

Randy Keck has departed for greener pastures after three years as the head women’s golf coach at Redlands Community College.

Keck will take over as the next head coach at the University of Tulsa, a program that is very rich in tradition with four national championships in its history.

It’s something that Keck is all too familiar with — he led the Cougars to top-three finishes in each of his three years, including an NJCAA national title in 2006.

In his final year at Redlands, Keck guided the Cougars to a national runner-up finish. During his first year, Redlands placed third at the NJCAA national championship.

“It was the three best years of my life,” Keck said Monday, just two days after his announcement as Tulsa’s new head coach. “I had a great experience at Redlands and the people there and within the El Reno community couldn’t have been better to me and my family.”

Keck, a native of Lindsey, knows the pressures of joining an elite program, but welcomes the opportunities.

“Anytime you make the jump to a Division I school that has a great program, it’s a great opportunity,” Keck said. “Tulsa has won four national championships and they have a great tradition so this is a phenomenal opportunity for me.”

“It’s exciting to join a program with such great tradition,” he said. “I look forward to the opportunity of putting Tulsa women’s golf back to where Coach Dale McNamara had built it.

“It will be exciting to recruit to a university that has enjoyed outstanding success and so many fantastic alums that have been through the golf program.”

Keck started his coaching career at Redlands as an assistant coach under former head coach Kevin Steele. Steele was responsible for starting the golf program.

Prior to his three-year tenure as head coach at Redlands, Keck was the head coach for two years at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., where he coach both the men’s and women’s golf programs. He was named the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2004.
On the high school level, Keck coached at Altus High School for four seasons. He helped lead the Bulldogs to a second-place finish at the 2002 state tournament as was honored as the Oklahoma High School Golf Coach of the Year.

Keck said his decision to leave Redlands wasn’t an easy one, especially since his wife, Sheryl, also worked for the school.

“It was a tough decision for me,” he said. “Redlands made a strong effort to keep me. I loved the El Reno community and my wife also worked at Redlands.

“I would really like to thank the community for all of their support. They made me, my family and the players all feel welcomed and at home.”

Keck will be joined on the TU staff by assistant coach Sara Mobley, who was originally named interim coach in June. Mobley is the former head coach at Oklahoma City University where she led the Stars to a pair of NAIA national titles in 2006 and 2007.

“We’re excited to have Randy as our women’s golf coach,” said Tulsa Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “He had built a great reputation as a teacher and recruiter. I’m thrilled with the combination of Randy and Sara, and the great success they have both had as head coaches.

“Their enthusiasm and work ethic is contagious. We look forward to Tulsa women’s golf once again becoming prominent nationally.”