Southern Miss Inks Colton Cowan to New Contract

(Photo from Southern Miss Athletics)

After a standout debut season that saw Southern Miss women’s golf capture the Sun Belt Tournament title and earn its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance, head coach Colton Cowan has signed a new multi-year contract that will keep him in Hattiesburg for the foreseeable future.

Cowan expressed his enthusiasm about continuing his work with the program, praising the university and its support system. “I’ve enjoyed my first year here in Hattiesburg — the University is great, the people are great, and the food is good,” Cowan said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more, so when the opportunity came to stay with this program, it was an easy decision. Having an administration that shares the same vision for the future of this program is crucial. Jeremy McClain and Shawn Jones have continuously provided the resources and support needed for us to keep building.”

Cowan also emphasized the value of collaboration within the golf program, noting the strong relationship with men’s head golf coach Eddie Brescher. “Eddie and I constantly bounce ideas off each other. We serve as sounding boards to continue shaping Southern Miss golf into the kind of program we know it can be,” Cowan said. “I’m honored and excited to keep pushing forward with the full backing of our administration.”

In Cowan’s first season, the Golden Eagles produced what many consider the best campaign in the program’s history. The team placed third at the Hoover Invitational early in the fall and later claimed a tournament victory at The Judson, held at Hattiesburg Country Club. Taylor Trible and Louise Cuyvers both secured top-four finishes in that event, and the team recorded a semester-low score of 867.

Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain praised Cowan’s immediate impact, calling him “a tremendous leader” who has already made a difference in a short time. “We are excited to have Colton leading our women’s golf program into the future,” McClain said. “We look forward to helping him continue to move it forward.”

The Golden Eagles remained strong into the spring season, opening with a third-place finish at the Puerto Rico Shootout. A week later, they took fourth at the Bama Beach Bash, improving by 14 strokes between the second and third rounds. They followed that with a win at the ULM Invitational, posting a season-low 859 over 54 holes.

Senior Deputy Athletics Director and COO Shawn Jones noted Cowan’s proven ability to build winners. “Colton’s program has produced champions on and off the course throughout his career, including in his first season at Southern Miss,” Jones said. “We couldn’t be more excited about his continued commitment to building long-term success.”

That momentum carried into the postseason. Southern Miss entered the Sun Belt Tournament on a hot streak, finishing stroke play in third and advancing to the match play semifinals. On the third day of competition, Momoka Ando made history by becoming the first Golden Eagle to win a conference individual championship. In match play, Southern Miss defeated second-seeded Coastal Carolina 3-2 and went on to beat top-seeded Georgia Southern 3.5-1.5 in the final, claiming the Sun Belt title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

At the NCAA Norman Regional, the Golden Eagles finished 12th in their first-ever appearance on the national stage. The team will look to build on that success when it opens the 2025–26 season at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on September 8.

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