Dianne Dailey and Cheyenne Woods
Wake Forest Hall of Fame 2020 Class: Dianne Dailey
6/8/2020 11:57:00 AM | Women's Golf
The Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame recently held its annual meeting and selected the newest members of the Hall of Fame. The new inductees will be introduced one per day this week exclusively on GoDeacs.Com.
Watch Induction Notification: https://youtu.be/El86mqiJkc0
If there were a Mount Rushmore of women's athletics at Wake Forest University, Dianne Dailey would certainly be on that hallowed monument. Matriarchs Marge Crisp and Dot Casey laid the foundation for women's athletics at Wake Forest during the formative years. Dianne Dailey has built on that foundation and left a long legacy of success in her wake.
Dailey was recently elected into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame. She will be one of six new inductees that comprise the 47th Hall of Fame induction class. The date of the induction is pending while the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I am humbled and excited to be selected to the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame," said Dianne. "I always considered it a privilege to have spent my entire career at Wake Forest and I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities afforded to me during my 30 years. I am also indebted to the wonderful, talented and hard-working student-athletes I have had the honor of coaching. They, along with the support and encouragement of my colleagues, made this selection possible. We've always been a team and that is one of the very special qualities about Wake Forest Athletics and the entire University community."
Dianne has a long list of accomplishments compiled during her 30-year career at Wake Forest before she retired in 2018. The numbers are staggering: 30 team titles, 38 individual champions, four ACC Championships, 26 NCAA Regional berths and 15 appearances in the NCAA Championship.
Dailey's four ACC Championships are the third-most by any Wake Forest coach, behind men's golf coach Jesse Haddock's 15 ACC titles and the five won by Bones McKinney. McKinney captured two men's basketball ACC championships and three as the leader of the men's golf team. Dailey's four championships are also matched by another iconic figure, field hockey coach Jen Averill.
And Dailey's swan song was especially sweet as Jennifer Kupcho won the NCAA women's individual golf title in 2018 while being named the national player of the year.
In her 30 seasons, Dailey coached 27 All-Americans, 39 All-ACC selections, five ACC Players of the Year and four ACC Freshmen of the Year including Kupcho. Dailey led the Deacons to ACC titles in 1994, 1995, 2009 and 2010.
But success for Dianne Dailey didn't begin with her role as a golf coach. Dailey was a prodigy as an amateur golfer, winning the Kentucky Girls State High School golf tournament in 1966 while leading her Frankfort High School team to the state title. She was the state tournament runner-up in 1967 before heading south to Salem College in Winston-Salem.
Her golf success continued as an undergraduate as she won back to back Marion Miley Invitationals at the Lexington, Ky. Country Club in 1969 and 1970. Her '70 victory included overcoming a five-stroke deficit in the final round to win on the fourth sudden-death playoff hole. She was a contender on the national amateur women's golf scene, reaching the quarterfinals of the 1969 U.S. Women's Amateur and playing as an amateur in the professional Bluegrass Invitational. In 1970, she won her second straight Women's Central Kentucky golf title by tying the course record with a 69.
Playing collegiate golf in an era where the NCAA only held tournaments for men, Dianne was nationally competitive in women's intercollegiate competition. She played in the Women's National Intercollegiate Golf Championship at Duke in June 1968 and made the cut to the final 32. A year later she reached the round of 16
Following her graduation from Salem in 1971, she spent a year in Switzerland living and working on a farm. Her ability to innovate and become self-sufficient was essential during that year.
"I knew no one in Europe, and if I ran into problems, I was the only one who could help me," said Dianne. "This gave me confidence in myself. It helps me cope and gives me a lot more patience. I appreciate some things we take for granted like heat. We stuck hot water bottles under our bed at night to keep warm. We could see our breath when we woke up in the morning. I learned an appreciation for the land and for farmers' hard work."
Upon returning to the States, Dianne earned a master's degree in counseling at N.C. State and became an assistant academic dean at Salem College. She also completed additional postgraduate work at Duke.
In 1977, she began to feel the golf course calling her back to playing. She reached the finals of the 1977 North and South Amateur at Pinehurst, reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur and contended in the Women's Eastern Golf Championship. Dailey earned her tour card through qualifying school in 1979.
Dailey played 10 years on the LPGA Tour and served as the vice president of the Tour in 1985 before becoming the president of the Association in 1986. She recorded a career-low round of 67 at the Boston Five Classic in 1981 and took third at the American Express Sun City Classic in 1982, her best finish on tour. In her 10 seasons, she posted nine top-10 finishes.
Her charitable nature and the loss of her mom Georgia led her to organize the first LPGA Pro-Am Hospice Benefit at Frankfort Country Club in 1986.
In 1988, Dr. Gene Hooks named Dianne to become the director of women's athletics and women's golf coach at Wake Forest. She replaced Dot Casey who had retired after 14 years as the women's AD and took over the golf program from Mary Beth McGirr. Dianne was the first fulltime athletic department staff member to serve in either role.
Dianne served the dual positions until 1999 when she relinquished the AD role in order to focus on coaching the golf team.
Her honors throughout the years have been numerous. A member of the National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Dianne was the LPGA Coach of the Year in 2001 and is a past president of the NGCA. On campus, Dianne was chosen for Omicron Delta Kappa in 1998.
Her legacy on Wake Forest's campus is cemented in the Dianne Dailey Golf Learning Center.
Add another accomplishment to the list of reasons why Dianne Dailey should be front and center on the list of women's athletics pioneers. She built a dynasty and nurtured it to great success. And now Wake Forest will honor her with her much-deserved Hall of Fame induction.
Watch Induction Notification: https://youtu.be/El86mqiJkc0
If there were a Mount Rushmore of women's athletics at Wake Forest University, Dianne Dailey would certainly be on that hallowed monument. Matriarchs Marge Crisp and Dot Casey laid the foundation for women's athletics at Wake Forest during the formative years. Dianne Dailey has built on that foundation and left a long legacy of success in her wake.
Dailey was recently elected into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame. She will be one of six new inductees that comprise the 47th Hall of Fame induction class. The date of the induction is pending while the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I am humbled and excited to be selected to the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame," said Dianne. "I always considered it a privilege to have spent my entire career at Wake Forest and I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities afforded to me during my 30 years. I am also indebted to the wonderful, talented and hard-working student-athletes I have had the honor of coaching. They, along with the support and encouragement of my colleagues, made this selection possible. We've always been a team and that is one of the very special qualities about Wake Forest Athletics and the entire University community."
Dianne has a long list of accomplishments compiled during her 30-year career at Wake Forest before she retired in 2018. The numbers are staggering: 30 team titles, 38 individual champions, four ACC Championships, 26 NCAA Regional berths and 15 appearances in the NCAA Championship.
Dailey's four ACC Championships are the third-most by any Wake Forest coach, behind men's golf coach Jesse Haddock's 15 ACC titles and the five won by Bones McKinney. McKinney captured two men's basketball ACC championships and three as the leader of the men's golf team. Dailey's four championships are also matched by another iconic figure, field hockey coach Jen Averill.
And Dailey's swan song was especially sweet as Jennifer Kupcho won the NCAA women's individual golf title in 2018 while being named the national player of the year.
In her 30 seasons, Dailey coached 27 All-Americans, 39 All-ACC selections, five ACC Players of the Year and four ACC Freshmen of the Year including Kupcho. Dailey led the Deacons to ACC titles in 1994, 1995, 2009 and 2010.
But success for Dianne Dailey didn't begin with her role as a golf coach. Dailey was a prodigy as an amateur golfer, winning the Kentucky Girls State High School golf tournament in 1966 while leading her Frankfort High School team to the state title. She was the state tournament runner-up in 1967 before heading south to Salem College in Winston-Salem.
Her golf success continued as an undergraduate as she won back to back Marion Miley Invitationals at the Lexington, Ky. Country Club in 1969 and 1970. Her '70 victory included overcoming a five-stroke deficit in the final round to win on the fourth sudden-death playoff hole. She was a contender on the national amateur women's golf scene, reaching the quarterfinals of the 1969 U.S. Women's Amateur and playing as an amateur in the professional Bluegrass Invitational. In 1970, she won her second straight Women's Central Kentucky golf title by tying the course record with a 69.
Playing collegiate golf in an era where the NCAA only held tournaments for men, Dianne was nationally competitive in women's intercollegiate competition. She played in the Women's National Intercollegiate Golf Championship at Duke in June 1968 and made the cut to the final 32. A year later she reached the round of 16
Following her graduation from Salem in 1971, she spent a year in Switzerland living and working on a farm. Her ability to innovate and become self-sufficient was essential during that year.
"I knew no one in Europe, and if I ran into problems, I was the only one who could help me," said Dianne. "This gave me confidence in myself. It helps me cope and gives me a lot more patience. I appreciate some things we take for granted like heat. We stuck hot water bottles under our bed at night to keep warm. We could see our breath when we woke up in the morning. I learned an appreciation for the land and for farmers' hard work."
Upon returning to the States, Dianne earned a master's degree in counseling at N.C. State and became an assistant academic dean at Salem College. She also completed additional postgraduate work at Duke.
In 1977, she began to feel the golf course calling her back to playing. She reached the finals of the 1977 North and South Amateur at Pinehurst, reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur and contended in the Women's Eastern Golf Championship. Dailey earned her tour card through qualifying school in 1979.
Dailey played 10 years on the LPGA Tour and served as the vice president of the Tour in 1985 before becoming the president of the Association in 1986. She recorded a career-low round of 67 at the Boston Five Classic in 1981 and took third at the American Express Sun City Classic in 1982, her best finish on tour. In her 10 seasons, she posted nine top-10 finishes.
Her charitable nature and the loss of her mom Georgia led her to organize the first LPGA Pro-Am Hospice Benefit at Frankfort Country Club in 1986.
In 1988, Dr. Gene Hooks named Dianne to become the director of women's athletics and women's golf coach at Wake Forest. She replaced Dot Casey who had retired after 14 years as the women's AD and took over the golf program from Mary Beth McGirr. Dianne was the first fulltime athletic department staff member to serve in either role.
Dianne served the dual positions until 1999 when she relinquished the AD role in order to focus on coaching the golf team.
Her honors throughout the years have been numerous. A member of the National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Dianne was the LPGA Coach of the Year in 2001 and is a past president of the NGCA. On campus, Dianne was chosen for Omicron Delta Kappa in 1998.
Her legacy on Wake Forest's campus is cemented in the Dianne Dailey Golf Learning Center.
Add another accomplishment to the list of reasons why Dianne Dailey should be front and center on the list of women's athletics pioneers. She built a dynasty and nurtured it to great success. And now Wake Forest will honor her with her much-deserved Hall of Fame induction.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10
Matt Barrie SportsCenter on Wake Forest Campus (Arnold Palmer Complex)
Wednesday, September 10
Football Media Availability (9/9/25)
Wednesday, September 10
Wake Forest Football vs Western Carolina | Cinematic Recap
Tuesday, September 09