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Paul Chavez
Head Golf Coach
Hometown: Odessa, TX
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After taking over the
men’s golf program in January 1997, Coach Paul Chavez has led the
Wranglers to 9 NJCAA Golf Championship appearances. Under Coach Chavez,
the Wranglers have been nationally ranked each year and have produced 13
NJCAA All-Americans, 24 NJCAA All-Region, 15 NJCAA All-State, and 28
WJCAC All-Conference players. Coach Chavez has also been named 2004 and
2005 NJCAA National Coach of the Year. Under the direction of Coach
Chavez, the Wranglers have earned 62 tournament titles and has
transformed the OC Golf Program into a national powerhouse. Year after
year his teams are in contention for a National Championship.
The 2003 – 2004 Odessa
College Golf Team completed one of the most successful seasons in NJCAA
history by winning the NJCAA Men’s Golf Championship and finishing the
season with a remarkable record of 119 – 0 versus NJCAA schools. The
Wranglers earned 14 team championships and 9 individual titles. The OC
Golf Team began the year ranked #1 and finished the year ranked #1 (25
consecutive polls of being ranked in Top 4). Along the way, the OC golf
team set numerous tournament/school records: 18- hole team score of 267
(22 under par) at the Andrews College/Am, 36- hole team score of 531 (37
under par) at the Andrews College/Am, and the 54-hole team score of 822
(42 under par) at the NJCAA Region V Championships. Individually, the
Wranglers also set records: Shawn La Fontaine (High Country Shoot-Out)
and Justin Fraley (Region V Championship) set a record score of 63 (9
under par). La Fontaine also set the 36-hole record score of 128 (14
under par) at the Andrews College/Am. In all the Wranglers produced 2
NJCAA All-Americans, 4 NJCAA All-State, 4 NJCAA All-Region, and 5 WJCAC
All-Conference players.
During the 2004 – 2005
season, the Wranglers won their second consecutive National
Championship. The OC golf team finished the season with a 110 – 6
record and earned 12 tournament titles. The Wranglers swept through the
post-season, winning the NJCAA Texas State Championship, NJCAA Region V
Championship, the WJCAC Conference Championship and the NJCAA National
Championship. In all the Wranglers produced 4 NJCAA All-Americans, 3
NJCAA All-State, 5 NJCAA All-Region, and 5 WJCAC All-Conference players.
Coach Paul Chavez
received a special honor in October 2003. Coach Chavez was selected by
the NJCAA to coach Team USA in the World University Golf Championships
in Thailand and led Team USA to a 3rd place finish (bronze
medal). Most recently, Coach Chavez was once again selected to coach
Team USA in the 2006 World University Golf Championships. The
Championship will be held in Torino (Italy), September 3 – 9, 2006.
Coach Chavez currently serves as Vice-President of the NJCAA Golf
Coaches Association and has been an honorary guest speaker at the
Oklahoma Coaches Association and Permian High School golf banquet.
An avid golfer himself,
Coach Paul Chavez has competed in the National Golf Coaches Tournament
in Las Vegas, finishing third in 1997, fifth in 1998, fifth in 1999, and
fifth in 2000. In 1999, Coach Chavez competed in the Odessa City Golf
Championship, finishing first (president’s flight) and finished first in
the 2000 Club at Mission Dorado Club Championship (president’s flight).
Coach Chavez also competed in the 2000 Odessa Cup representing the Club
at Mission Dorado.
The Wranglers, along
with Coach Chavez, have served as volunteers and caddies for the Buy.Com
Permian Basin Open, the Cadillac Invitational (benefits the West Texas
Kidney Foundation) and various local events. Chavez also heads the
Little Wrangler golf camps for kids along with teaching golf classes for
adults. In June 2001, Coach Chavez directed the inaugural Nike Golf
Camp, teaching and instructing young golfers in the Permian Basin area.
Chavez earned an
associate of arts degree from Carl Sandburg College and a B.A. in
psychology with a minor in physical education from the University of
Texas of the Permian Basin. He and wife Dottie, have two sons Kyler, 10
and Jaden, 5.
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