Week 3 Open the Gate Honoree: Dianne Dailey
9/14/2021 2:01:00 PM | Football, General
Legendary Wake Forest women’s golf coach Dianne Dailey is set to be the Open the Gate honoree for the Demon Deacons’ home matchup against Florida State.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest Athletics Open the Gate tradition continues with 2020 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Dianne Dailey. The longtime women's golf coach will lead the team onto Truist Field ahead of the Deacons' contest against Florida State on Saturday afternoon.
Coach Dailey is something of a legend at Wake Forest as the Frankfort, Ky. native began her 30-year career with the Deacs in 1988 and accomplished unprecedented success during her coaching career while impacting countless student-athletes. Dailey's tenure in Winston-Salem has brought the best results in the history of the women's golf program.
An accomplished amateur golfer, Dailey won three amateur championships. Dailey was a back-to-back winner at The North Carolina Amateur in 1977 and 1978. She added her final amateur win when she captured the 1978 Carolinas Amateur. Dailey attended and played golf at Salem College in Winston-Salem. She graduated from Salem in 1971 and then received her masters degree in education from North Carolina State.
After completing her masters degree, Dailey joined the LPGA Tour in 1979. Dailey recorded a career-best third place finish at the 1982 Express Sun City Classic. In 1985, Dailey was named Vice President of the LPGA and on the board of directors. In 1986 she was promoted to the President of the LPGA, a position she would hold until becoming the director of women's athletics and head women's golf coach at Wake Forest.
Dailey has turned Wake Forest into a perennial powerhouse of the NCAA women's golf scene. She has helped nurture some of the best athletes in Wake Forest history. Sierra Sims and Jennifer Kupcho both learned under the tutelage of Dailey. In her 30 year stint with the Deacs, Dailey captured four ACC Championships, four ACC Coach of the Year awards, one LPGA Coach of the Year award, three LPGA Southeast Coach of the Year awards, three NGCA District Coach of the Year awards, and the NGCA Gladys Palmer Service Award in 1995. Dailey's Demon Deacons made 15 NCAA Championship appearances, had 27 All-Americans, 38 individual champions, and captured 29 team tournament titles.
Dailey retired from Wake Forest in 2018. Her final act as a Demon Deacon was getting to watch Kupcho win the NCAA women's individual golf title in 2018 and be crowned national player of the year.
In 2001, Dailey was inducted into the NGCA Hall of Fame. In 2019, her alma mater Salem College inducted her into their inaugural Hall of Fame class. Shortly after, Dailey was selected to the 2020 Wake Forest Hall of Fame class.
Dailey's legacy was permanently etched into both of the golf programs at Wake Forest when the Dianne Dailey Golf Learning Center opened in 2010. It has served as a haven for the men's and women's golf teams.
Open the Gate Information & 2021 Honorees
The Open the Gate tradition has been an important and unique aspect of football games since its inception in 2008. This allows Wake Forest to honor individuals that make its University and Winston-Salem community so special. Honorees ride on the back of the motorcycle with the Demon Deacon mascot and lead the football team onto Truist Field. The first ever honoree was Wake Forest and Winston-Salem legend, Chris Paul.
Coach Dailey is something of a legend at Wake Forest as the Frankfort, Ky. native began her 30-year career with the Deacs in 1988 and accomplished unprecedented success during her coaching career while impacting countless student-athletes. Dailey's tenure in Winston-Salem has brought the best results in the history of the women's golf program.
An accomplished amateur golfer, Dailey won three amateur championships. Dailey was a back-to-back winner at The North Carolina Amateur in 1977 and 1978. She added her final amateur win when she captured the 1978 Carolinas Amateur. Dailey attended and played golf at Salem College in Winston-Salem. She graduated from Salem in 1971 and then received her masters degree in education from North Carolina State.
After completing her masters degree, Dailey joined the LPGA Tour in 1979. Dailey recorded a career-best third place finish at the 1982 Express Sun City Classic. In 1985, Dailey was named Vice President of the LPGA and on the board of directors. In 1986 she was promoted to the President of the LPGA, a position she would hold until becoming the director of women's athletics and head women's golf coach at Wake Forest.
Dailey has turned Wake Forest into a perennial powerhouse of the NCAA women's golf scene. She has helped nurture some of the best athletes in Wake Forest history. Sierra Sims and Jennifer Kupcho both learned under the tutelage of Dailey. In her 30 year stint with the Deacs, Dailey captured four ACC Championships, four ACC Coach of the Year awards, one LPGA Coach of the Year award, three LPGA Southeast Coach of the Year awards, three NGCA District Coach of the Year awards, and the NGCA Gladys Palmer Service Award in 1995. Dailey's Demon Deacons made 15 NCAA Championship appearances, had 27 All-Americans, 38 individual champions, and captured 29 team tournament titles.
Dailey retired from Wake Forest in 2018. Her final act as a Demon Deacon was getting to watch Kupcho win the NCAA women's individual golf title in 2018 and be crowned national player of the year.
In 2001, Dailey was inducted into the NGCA Hall of Fame. In 2019, her alma mater Salem College inducted her into their inaugural Hall of Fame class. Shortly after, Dailey was selected to the 2020 Wake Forest Hall of Fame class.
Dailey's legacy was permanently etched into both of the golf programs at Wake Forest when the Dianne Dailey Golf Learning Center opened in 2010. It has served as a haven for the men's and women's golf teams.
Open the Gate Information & 2021 Honorees
The Open the Gate tradition has been an important and unique aspect of football games since its inception in 2008. This allows Wake Forest to honor individuals that make its University and Winston-Salem community so special. Honorees ride on the back of the motorcycle with the Demon Deacon mascot and lead the football team onto Truist Field. The first ever honoree was Wake Forest and Winston-Salem legend, Chris Paul.
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