Drake University Women's Golf

Pruett was named head womens golf coach at Drake University on July 17, 2015. We are excited to welcome Rachael Pruett to the Drake Bulldog athletics family, said Director of Athletics Sandy Hatfield Clubb. Her highest priority is the heart of each of the women on the team. She is passionate about bringing out the qualities in each student-athlete that will enable them to be their best self in their golf and academic pursuits. She wants to make sure they are equipped with the tools they need to be successful in life after college. All of her qualities exemplify the tenets at the foundation of Drake Athletics as stated in The Bulldog Way touchstone. Pruett comes to Drake from Cleveland State University, where she spent the last two years as associate head mens and womens golf coach. Her main role with the Vikings was leading the womens golf team, as she was responsible for all aspects of the program. This past spring, Pruett helped the mens squad win the Horizon League Championship, while leading the womens team to a third place finish at the league tournament. In her first season at CSU, Pruett guided the womens squad to a fifth place showing at the Horizon League Championship, while assisting the mens team to a league title. Rachaels vision for the Drake womens golf program is in line with our athletic department commitment to create a NCAA Division I championship student-athlete experience, said Hatfield Clubb. Her background in coaching the mental aspect of the game and her masters thesis on the biomechanics of the golf swing means that Drake women golfers will have the benefit of her expertise. Prior to her tenture at Cleveland State, Pruett served as the graduate assistant coach at her alma mater, Ball State, for two years, helping the Cardinals to a runner-up finish at the 2011-12 Mid-American Conference tournament. Pruett was a four-year letterwinner at Ball State from 2007-10, finishing her career with a 78.78 scoring average, second all-time in Ball State history. A member of the 2010 All-MAC tournament team when she placed fifth, Pruett won the 2010 Ball State Cardinal Classic for her first career victory. She was an Academic All-MAC selection as a junior and senior and was a four-time NGCA All-America Scholar. She graduated magna cum laude in 2010 with degree in exercise science and received a masters degree from Ball State in biomechanics in 2013. Rachael Pruett Head Coach Rachael Pruett was named head womens golf coach at Drake University on July 17, 2015. We are excited to welcome Rachael Pruett to the Drake Bulldog athletics family, said Director of Athletics Sandy Hatfield Clubb. Her highest priority is the heart of each of the women on the team. She is passionate about bringing out the qualities in each student-athlete that will enable them to be their best self in their golf and academic pursuits. She wants to make sure they are equipped with the tools they need to be successful in life after college. All of her qualities exemplify the tenets at the foundation of Drake Athletics as stated in The Bulldog Way touchstone. Pruett comes to Drake from Cleveland State University, where she spent the last two years as associate head mens and womens golf coach. Her main role with the Vikings was leading the womens golf team, as she was responsible for all aspects of the program. This past spring, Pruett helped the mens squad win the Horizon League Championship, while leading the womens team to a third place finish at the league tournament. In her first season at CSU, Pruett guided the womens squad to a fifth place showing at the Horizon League Championship, while assisting the mens team to a league title. Rachaels vision for the Drake womens golf program is in line with our athletic department commitment to create a NCAA Division I championship student-athlete experience, said Hatfield Clubb. Her background in coaching the mental aspect of the game and her masters thesis on the biomechanics of the golf swing means that Drake women golfers will have the benefit of her expertise. Prior to her tenture at Cleveland State, Pruett served as the graduate assistant coach at her alma mater, Ball State, for two years, helping the Cardinals to a runner-up finish at the 2011-12 Mid-American Conference tournament. Pruett was a four-year letterwinner at Ball State from 2007-10, finishing her career with a 78.78 scoring average, second all-time in Ball State history. A member of the 2010 All-MAC tournament team when she placed fifth, Pruett won the 2010 Ball State Cardinal Classic for her first career victory. She was an Academic All-MAC selection as a junior and senior and was a four-time NGCA All-America Scholar. She graduated magna cum laude in 2010 with degree in exercise science and received a masters degree from Ball State in biomechanics in 2013. Rachael Pruett Head Coach Rachael Pruett was named head womens golf coach at Drake University on July 17, 2015. We are excited to welcome Rachael Pruett to the Drake Bulldog athletics family, said Director of Athletics Sandy Hatfield Clubb. Her highest priority is the heart of each of the women on the team. She is passionate about bringing out the qualities in each student-athlete that will enable them to be their best self in their golf and academic pursuits. She wants to make sure they are equipped with the tools they need to be successful in life after college. All of her qualities exemplify the tenets at the foundation of Drake Athletics as stated in The Bulldog Way touchstone. Pruett comes to Drake from Cleveland State University, where she spent the last two years as associate head mens and womens golf coach. Her main role with the Vikings was leading the womens golf team, as she was responsible for all aspects of the program. This past spring, Pruett helped the mens squad win the Horizon League Championship, while leading the womens team to a third place finish at the league tournament. In her first season at CSU, Pruett guided the womens squad to a fifth place showing at the Horizon League Championship, while assisting the mens team to a league title. Rachaels vision for the Drake womens golf program is in line with our athletic department commitment to create a NCAA Division I championship student-athlete experience, said Hatfield Clubb. Her background in coaching the mental aspect of the game and her masters thesis on the biomechanics of the golf swing means that Drake women golfers will have the benefit of her expertise. Prior to her tenture at Cleveland State, Pruett served as the graduate assistant coach at her alma mater, Ball State, for two years, helping the Cardinals to a runner-up finish at the 2011-12 Mid-American Conference tournament. Pruett was a four-year letterwinner at Ball State from 2007-10, finishing her career with a 78.78 scoring average, second all-time in Ball State history. A member of the 2010 All-MAC tournament team when she placed fifth, Pruett won the 2010 Ball State Cardinal Classic for her first career victory. She was an Academic All-MAC selection as a junior and senior and was a four-time NGCA All-America Scholar. She graduated magna cum laude in 2010 with degree in exercise science and received a masters degree from Ball State in biomechanics in 2013.

Drake University Director of Athletics Brian Hardin announced the elevation of Steve Smith to head coach of the Drake women's golf program on May 24, 2022. Smith was appointed interim head coach on Feb. 18, 2022 with 33 years of coaching experience at his disposal.   "We are incredibly pleased to remove the interim tag from Steve's title," Hardin said. "Steve stepped into a challenging situation, as he moved into his role literally days before our first spring competition and proceeded to develop strong relationships with our team. Steve guided them to an excellent season this past spring and I am very excited to see the program he develops at Drake."   Under Smith's leadership in 2022, the Bulldogs recorded their best finish (third place) at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships since 2010. Smith has also led the Bulldogs to back-to-back third place finishes at the MVC Championship for the 2023-24 and and 2024-25 seasons.  Smith coached Kristen Giles to become just the second Bulldog women's golfer to win the MVC Championship and represented Drake and the MVC as an individual at the 2022 NCAA Division I Stillwater Regional. In the season's final tune-up prior to the MVC Championship, the Bulldogs tied for first at the Redbird Spring Invitational on April 9.   "I am extremely grateful to Brian Hardin and Megan Franklin, Ph.D. for the opportunity to continue coaching the Drake women's golf team," Smith said. "It was amazing to be a part of this team and the historic finish to the spring season. I am looking forward to the future and the success of the team."   Smith began as assistant golf professional at Hyperion Field Club in April of 2020. Prior to that, he was the head boys and girls golf coach as well as a teacher at Johnston High School from 1991-2020, earning District Coach of the Year honors on five occasions. In 2018, Smith was nominated for National Coach of the Year by the Iowa High School Golf Coach Association.   Smith's first coaching position was from 1987-1991 when he was the head girls golf coach at Norwalk High School. Smith was an all-conference golfer in 1985 and 1986 at Truman State University.