MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Outgoing Middle Tennessee men's golf coach Johnny Moore certainly is leaving his current position in style.

Moore, whose retirement after 18 years at the helm of the program becomes effective June 15, was named the Southeast Region Coach of the Year by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Thursday. The nine regional Coach of the Year recipients are also candidates for the Eaton Golf Pride Dave Williams Award, which is presented to the Division I national coach of the year.

"My first reaction was that I was stunned," Moore said. "I feel honored to be mentioned (with the coaches on this list). These guys are legends. It's quite an honor to be named by the Golf Coaches Association. It's an honor in itself because it is your peers. I'm almost speechless when I think about it.

"I really think it's an honor for the University and for those players, not for me. They are the ones who did it. I drove the bus and stayed out of the way."

Moore, who was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year in April, came within inches of leading the Blue Raiders to their first SBC Championship when they lost on a birdie putt on the first playoff hole at the league tournament in April. Middle Tennessee had stormed back from a 13-shot deficit to grab a share of the lead after 54 holes.

The Blue Raiders enjoyed a stellar season in 2007, ranking 47th nationally by Golfstat and 59th by Golf Week. Middle Tennessee narrowly missed an at-large berth into the NCAA National Championships after posting a 115-29-2 record and going 26-18-2 against Top 100 competition.

Middle Tennessee enjoyed top five finishes in all seven of their spring tournaments, and it posted 10 top five finishes out of 12 events during the 2006-07 season. Freshman Craig Smith became the first Blue Raider to earn low medalist at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, and sophomore Chas Narramore became the first Middle Tennessee golfer selected into the NCAA Division I Championships as an individual.

"As far as depth and overall talent, I believe this was the best team we have had at Middle Tennessee since I've been here," Moore said. "This was a very close team and a group of guys that really cared about one another and how one another played. It was very enjoyable to coach this team and the best thing is the majority of the players are young, either freshmen or sophomores, so the future is very bright."

The GCAA is the professional association of men's golf coaches. Established in 1958, this non-profit organization is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing its members who participate in men's golf at all levels. Through its established events and programs, the GCAA maintains a goal of increasing awareness and the status of men's golf.

Eaton Golf Pride Regional Coaches of the Year
Southeast - Johnny Moore, Middle Tennessee
New England - Tom Drennan, Rhode Island
Mid-Atlantic - Kevin Fillman, Longwood
South - Allen Terrell, Coastal Carolina
Midwest - Mark Crabtree, Louisville
Central - Bill Brogden, Tulsa
South Central - Brian White, Lamar
Southwest - Bruce Brockbank, Brigham Young
Pacific - Conrad Ray, Stanford

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