UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A legendary career spanning six decades has officially come to a close as Penn State women's golf head coach Denise St. Pierre announced her retirement Monday.
A 1983 graduate, St. Pierre arrived in Happy Valley in the fall of 1979 as a student-athlete and began her coaching career in 1985 under Mary Kennedy-Zierke as an assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs before succeeding Zierke as the head women's golf coach prior to the 1992-93 season.
"I am extremely blessed to have been a part of this program, this athletics department and this great University for all these years! I want to thank the many administrators, exceptional coaches and dedicated student-athletes I have had the privilege to walk this journey with," stated St. Pierre. "It has been a privilege and honor that I will treasure the rest of my life. My feet may be stepping away, but my heart will forever remain with Dear Old State! We Are!"
"Denise St. Pierre had an incredible 31-year head coaching tenure at Penn State, and I congratulate her on her retirement and the conclusion to a terrific career. In total, Denise has given more than 40 years of her life to Penn State as a student-athlete, assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs and women's head coach, and she is a staple to the Happy Valley community," commented Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. "I have been fortunate enough to inherit a group of coaches at Penn State who have shown their pride and dedication to the University, and Denise exemplifies what it means to lead the Blue & White. We wish Denise nothing but the best in retirement and know she will continue to be a tremendous member of our State College community."
St. Pierre's teams have had great success both athletically and academically winning multiple tournament titles, including 17 Nittany Lion Invitational Championships under her watch, while advancing to the NCAA Regionals four times, most recently in the 2012-13 campaign. St. Pierre has also accompanied multiple student-athletes to the NCAA Regionals as individuals including Mathilde Delavallade just two weeks ago.
Last week, St. Pierre led her Nittany Lion squad to a commanding victory at the inaugural National Golf Invitational in Maricopa, Arizona. The Nittany Lions placed three individuals in the top-10 including a runner-up finish from sophomore Michelle Cox while running away from the field over the final nine holes for an 11-shot victory.
During her tenure, nearly 200 student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors with more than 30 being named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars as St. Pierre's squads have constantly maintained one of the highest team GPAs within Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics year in and year out.
