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 | Position:
Head Coach
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| Experience:
27th Season
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In the fall of 1983, Lela Cannon was named the head women's golf coach at the University of Miami. The following spring, Cannon guided her first Hurricane squad to the national championship in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
In the 27th season of her Hall of Fame coaching career, Cannon continues to strive for excellence both on the course and in the classroom. During her tenure, she has led the Hurricanes to five state championships and 16 NCAA tournament appearances, while guiding her players to numerous Academic All-America honors as well as future careers on the LPGA tour.
Cannon, a two-time Southeastern Region Coach of the Year (1984, 1992), enters the 2009-10 with a young but talented squad. The 2009-10 team returned the nucleus of the team that won the largest women's collegiate golf tournament in the 43-team Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic Title. Miami won the tournament again in 2010.
Cannon, who came out of the coaching chute in 1983-84 with a NCAA Championship, has always given her teams the chance to win by bringing the best talent in the world to South Florida, and keeping Florida's best at home.
Following the 1984 NCAA championship season, Cannon signed local standout Tracy Kerdyk, who went on to win an unprecedented 11 career tournaments, earned first-team All-American honors twice and was the nation's 1987-88 Player of the Year.
In 1986, in what Cannon labeled a rebuilding season, Miami shocked the collegiate world by storming to a second-place finish at the NCAAs. Two freshmen led the way. Joye McAvoy, who had been a consistent performer throughout her UM career, finished in a tie for seventh place, while Texan Buffy Klein posted career-best scores to tie for 17th place.
Cannon continued to mold some of the best players in collegiate golf including All-Americans Mary Dunne (Lauderdale By The Sea, Fla.) in 1991, Kim Augusta (Runford, R.I.) in 1992 and Julie Brand (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) in both 1993 and 1994.
In 2002 and 2003, Cannon guided Camilla Hilland and Tina Miller to at-large berths to the NCAA Regional Championships. Hilland won the state championship in 2002, en route to receiving an NCAA Regional bid. In 2003, Miller earned an at-large berth following her victory at the inaugural Women's BIG EAST Golf Championship.
But Cannon knows that success on the golf course is only a part of collegiate life. In 1986, Briles became Miami's first Academic All-American in women's golf. McAvoy was named to the Academic All-America and Honorable Mention All-America lists in 1988. Shannon Hamel was Miami's first two-time Academic All-American in women's golf, earning honors in 1991 and 1992. In 1997, 1998 and 1999, Shayne Wild became Miami's first three-time Academic All-American.
In 2005, the Hurricanes qualified for the NCAA East Regional Championship marking the 18th time since 1982 that Miami advanced to post-season competition.
Miami's academic excellence continued in 2006 as Josie Shinn was named to the Academic All-ACC Golf team, as well as an All-American Scholar by the National Golf Coaches Association. In 2007, Jessica Steward followed Shinn's lead, earning a spot on the Academic All-ACC Team.
Cannon also understands her players' vision of one day playing on the LPGA tour, and through the years she has helped guide her players to success after they leave the University of Miami. Cannon has been instrumental in the collegiate and LPGA careers of Penny Hammel (1983 NCAA Champion, All-American in 1983 and 1984, and LPGA Rookie of the Year in 1985), Michelle Berteotti (All-American, 1984) and Kerdyk.
She has also coached LPGA tour members Jill Briles-Hinton, Gina Hull and Donna Casano-Williams and has maintained a relationship with Michelle McGann, whom she signed in 1989. McGann turned pro instead of attending Miami, and broke through in 1995 with her first two LPGA wins after seven years on tour. With a lifetime association with golf, Cannon represented the United States as the Head Coach of the US-Japan All-Star team in 1984.
In the fall of 2001 Cannon was featured in the book, Celebrating Women Coaches, A Biographical Dictionary. The book, which was written by Nena Rey Hawkes and John F. Seggar, profiles 42 of the world's top female coaches.
On January 23, 2002, Cannon was inducted into the National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Prior to coming to Miami, Cannon was a member of the Connecticut State Golf Association - an organization which requires a player to have a 16 handicap or less for membership.
Cannon has two children, Marc and Melissa (Guzy) and three grandchildren, Wil , Katie and John.
Cannon and her son, Marc, share a unique bond. In 1999 Cannon was initiated into the University of Miami's prestigous Iron Arrow Society making the Cannons the first-ever athletic related mother-son tandem to be members of Iron Arrow.
