Wake Forest Athletics
Former Wake Forest Women’s Golf Coach, Dianne Dailey Joins Deac 2 Deac Podcast
9/9/2021 12:00:00 PM | Women's Golf
Dailey was the head coach of the Demon Deacons from 1988 to 2018. During this period, she won numerous individual and team awards including four ACC Championships and four ACC Coach of the Year awards.
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Dianne Dailey is something of a legend at Wake Forest. The Frankfort, Kentucky native began with the Demon Deacons in 1988. 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. Despite never winning in her ten year professional career, 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.
Daily 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 has 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 is permanently etched into both of the golf programs at Wake Forest. The Dianne Dailey Golf Learning Center opened in 2010 and has served as a haven for the men's and women's golf teams.
On today's pod, Dailey joins alum Kevin Smith to talk about all things Wake Forest Athletics, her journey, and her favorite memories in the Old Gold and Black.
Listeners are encouraged to send feedback and ideas to smithka@wfu.edu or @Deac2Deac on Twitter.
The Deac2Deac podcast is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube and GoDeacs.com/Watch.
