Jan. 14, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. - Rhode Island head golf coach Tom Drennan will be honored by the Golf Coaches Association of America as one of three inductees into its 2007 Hall of Fame class at a ceremony on the evening of Jan. 14. Drennan joins Jay Hardwick of Virginia Tech and Guilford's Jack Jensen at the GCAA Hall of Fame Reception and Awards banquet held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla.

"I'm extremely humbled by the magnitude of this award and the group of coaches I am joining," Drennan said today from Orlando. "I am very lucky to have my wife Nancy, my four daughters, my brother and some of my closest friends joining me here for the ceremony."

In 20 years under Drennan's guidance, Rhode Island has dominated men's college golf in the Northeast. The Rams have won 10 of the last 11 New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championships, five Atlantic 10 Championships and made 16-straight NCAA Regional appearances.

Drennan has been named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year twice and Eaton Golf Pride New England Region Coach of the Year nine times (1995, `97, `98, `99, `00, `01, `02, `04 and `07). He was also named Rhode Island Coach of the Year twice (1994, `99). In 2004, he led Rhode Island to its first national championships appearance since 1967 when it finished eighth at the NCAA East Regional. Drennan served as president of the GCAA from 2004-2006 and is currently the association's immediate past president.

"This honor has truly been made possible by the many talented and gifted golfers who have represented the University of Rhode Island with such success," Drennan added. "It is also a credit to the URI administration, who has helped the program to develop over the past 20+ years."

The Rams open up play in their 2008 Spring season at the Roadrunner Invitational in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 18-19.