Letter from the Director of Athletics

HEAD COACHES

Scott Cross

Men’s Basketball

Marc Davis

Track & Field

Rawia Elsisi

Women’s Tennis

Randy Keck

Women’s Golf

Nic Laracuente

Cheer

Josh Lauer

Volleyball

Chanda Rigby

Women’s Basketball

HEAD COACHES

Chip Lindsey

Football

Skylar Meade

Baseball

Beth Mullins

Softball

Forrest Schultz

Men’s Golf

Rolando Vargas

Men’s Tennis

Nicole Waters

Soccer (Interim) Year in Review

After winning seven conference championships and reaching a combined 14 NCAA Regionals in eight seasons, Forrest Schultz has been named Troy University’s new men’s golf coach. Schultz comes to Troy following eight successful seasons coaching both the men’s and women’s programs at Henderson State, where he served as the Director of Golf. His teams advanced to NCAA Regional competition in each of the seven years it was held during his tenure, and the women’s team advanced to the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship.

Schultz guided Henderson State’s men’s program to five straight Great America Conference titles from 2014 to 2018, while the women’s program won Great America championships in 2014 and 2021. The titles in 2014 marked the first in program history for Henderson State’s women and the first in the NCAA era of the men’s program.“I am beyond excited to be selected as the next head coach to lead the historic men’s golf program at Troy,” Schultz said. “It was clear to me from the beginning that there is a deep passion for golf at Troy University. The resources and facilities put together for the golf programs will allow us to compete at the highest level. I want to personally thank Brent Jones and Chancellor Hawkins for believing in my vision for Troy Men’s Golf. The support for this program is unlike any I have experienced, and I cannot wait to lead these young men to new heights. My wife, Holly, and I cannot wait to raise our family in this amazing community. One Troy!”

His teams have won a combined 25 regular season titles during his tenure, while Henderson State golfers took home 14 individual medalist honors. His players earned All-Great America Conference honors 42 times in seven years (were not awarded in 2020). Schultz earned his bachelor’s degree in recreation from Henderson State in 2010 and followed with his master’s degree in sports administration in 2012. A three-year letterman at Henderson State, Schultz was a three-time Academic All-Gulf South Conference honor roll selection.

In 2012, Schultz won the Arkansas PGA Assistants Championship and was runner-up at the Arkansas PGA Chapter Championship. He holds Class “A” PGA status and has served as vice president of the Arkansas Chapter PGA Assistants Association. BASEBALL COACH One of the most respected and renowned assistant coaches in the country, Skylar Meade begins his first season as Troy’s baseball head coach following four seasons as the pitching coach at South Carolina. A 14-year coaching veteran, Meade has previous stops at Michigan State, Middle Tennessee and Eastern Illinois following a standout playing career at Louisville, where he pitched in the College World Series. Meade has coached 28 players who have been selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, with 12 of those players taken within the first 10 rounds.

Meade is coming off a season in which six South Carolina pitchers were selected in the MLB Draft earlier this week, which was tied with Arkansas for the most pitchers selected from any one school. Brett Kerry earned D1 Baseball and NCBWA All-America honors while Will Sanders was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, was a Freshman All-American selection by two organizations and was recently selected as a member of USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Additionally, Jack Mahoney earned Freshman All-America honors from Perfect Game.

The Gamecocks posted the fourth-best ERA in the SEC in 2021, while South Carolina’s staff totaled 624 strikeouts in just 507 innings pitched. South Carolina hosted an NCAA Regional and picked up an in-season sweep of No. 5 Florida.

Meade joined the South Carolina staff before the 2018 season and during his four seasons 14 Gamecock pitchers were selected in the MLB Draft. Seven of those picks came in the top 10 rounds, including Carmen Mlodzinski, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 31st overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He made an immediate impact in his first season with the Gamecocks as they held opponents to a .243 batting average and posted 542 strikeouts in 553.1 innings of work. In the shortened 2020 season, South Carolina pitchers combined for a 2.81 ERA with 184 strikeouts in just 144 innings pitched.

Meade joined the South Carolina staff following three seasons as the pitching coach at Michigan State. Under his watch, a Spartan pitcher led the Big Ten in ERA in each of his last two seasons on staff (Walter Borkovich in 2017; Dakota Mekkes in 2016). Additionally, the Spartans posted their top three strikeout totals in school history his final three seasons with 409 strikeouts in 2015, 466 in 2016 and 420 in 2017.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

For the second-consecutive season, and the fourth time in program history, the Troy women’s basketball program was the champion of the Sun Belt Conference. Following its East Division crown, Troy marched through the conference tournament, defeating Louisiana, 73-65, in the Sun Belt Tournament Championship Game.

The Trojans posted a 22-6 overall record, tied for the third-best record in program history despite playing fewer games due to COVID-19.

Troy went 15-2 in conference play, tied for the second-best conference record in program history, and earned the top seed from the East Division. Troy’s 15 wins were the most by any Sun Belt team this past season.

Head coach Chanda Rigby earned her 150th career victory at Troy on Dec. 20, 2020, when her team defeated Martin Methodist 90-71. By the end of the campaign, Rigby had earned 168 career victories, the second-most in program history behind Joyce Sorrell’s 274. Rigby owns the best winning percentage in program history at .648.

After winning their third Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the Trojans earned their third berth in the NCAA under Chanda Rigby, fourth time in program history, as the 15 seed. The Trojans drew No. 2 seed Texas A&M in the Mercado Region and played their game at the University of Texas.

Head coach Chanda Rigby was named the Sun Belt’s Coach of the Year while Alexus Dye was named the conference’s Player of the Year. Felmas Koranga was also honored by the league’s head coaches as she was named the Newcomer of the Year.

Troy’s offense was one of the best in program history and in the country. For the ninth straight season, Troy led the Sun Belt in scoring offense at 86.0 points per game while ranking third nationally. The Trojans’ 86 points per game was the best scoring average in Chanda Rigby’s career and the second-best average in school history.

The Trojans led the NCAA in rebounds per game (52.1) and defensive boards per game (32.8) while ranking second nationally in total rebounds (1,458) and offensive boards (19.3) while ranking ninth in rebounding margin (+11.0).

On Dec. 7, 2020, the Trojans set a program record for points scored in a game with 131 against LaGrange. Their dominant offensive performance broke the previous high set back in 2017 by one point.

Jasmine Robinson became the 25th member of the 1,000-point club on Feb. 20 against Coastal Carolina. She ended the season with 1,088 career points and will be able to add to that total during the 2021-22 season.

Troy set a program record for player of the week honors in a season with five. Alexus Dye was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week three times while Tiyah Johnson and Jasmine Robinson each earned the honor once.