Lake Forest College Director of Athletics Jackie Slaats announced on Friday, May 5, that Sean O'Malley will be taking over as the Foresters' head women's golf coach, effective immediately. Tamlyn Tills, the team's head coach since the start of the program in 2014, will continue to play an integral role in the program's success as associate head coach. In addition to O'Malley and Tills, Forester golfers will continue to receive valuable instruction from Matthew Jones '95, the director of player development for the men's and women's teams.
O'Malley has been an avid golfer throughout his life. After participating in numerous junior tournaments, he went on to play varsity golf at Cleveland Saint Ignatius High School, where he helped lead the Wildcats to a pair of top-four finishes in the state of Ohio.
Following his high school career, O'Malley attended the College at Brockport, where he played hockey and graduated in 2010 with a degree in criminal justice. Throughout his college years and early hockey coaching career, he remained involved in the game of golf by developing and teaching youth in the central New York area.
O'Malley came to Lake Forest as an assistant men's hockey coach in 2014 and has helped lead the team to its most successful three-year run in more than a decade. He will continue in that role while adding head women's golf coach to his title in 2017-18.
"I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to coach our women's golf team," commented O'Malley. "I want to thank Jackie Slaats and the rest of the Lake Forest College administration for giving me this chance to succeed in coaching a sport about which I am extremely passionate. I look forward to bringing enthusiasm and my love for the game to the team."
"Coach O'Malley taking over our women's golf program will be a victory for all those involved," began Slaats. "Our team members will benefit greatly from his golf acumen, competitive nature, and track record of success. Coach O'Malley has proven his ability to develop and motivate athletes as an assistant in hockey and will now have the opportunity to continue his growth as a coach by directing his own team. Coach Tills, who has done a tremendous job leading two sports over the last few years, will now be able to focus her recruiting efforts on basketball while still continuing to help the golf program."
Tills has led the Foresters to a 12-0 dual match record during her three seasons as head coach. Lake Forest continued its rise up the league standings by placing third at the 2016 Midwest Conference Championships after finishing fourth in 2015 and fifth in 2014, the program's first season as a varsity sport.
