CourtestyPrairie View A&M
PRAIRIE VIEW – Prairie View A&M Director of Athletics, Dr. Donald Reed, announced Tuesday the hiring of Mike Rice, who will serve as the new head men’s and women’s golf coach.
“Rice will be a great addition to our golf program and I am confident that he will do a tremendous job leading our men’s and women’s golf programs in a winning direction,” said Dr. Reed. “He brings a wealth of experience at various levels and his passion and vision for golf is impressive. He has knowledge as not only a golf coach, but has expertise on how to operate a golf course. We are delighted to have him aboard.”
After becoming an assistant coach in 2013 at FAMU, he was given the reigns as former FAMU golf coach in 2018 after Marvin Green stepped away from the university to take a position with the Florida Sports Foundation.
Prairie View hires a winner
He led the Rattlers to a MEAC title and a berth to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, a first for both feats. He would also make history as the 2021 team earned the No.1 ranking in the first-ever PGA Minority Collegiate rankings sanctioned by the PGA of America. Rattlers would hold four of the top five positions in the ranking.
With those rankings, four of the team’s players earned positions on the APGA Tour. The four of them also turned professional two weeks after playing their last tournament for FAMU and earning winnings in their first tournament, the Billy Hoerschel Invitational at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Rice, a native of Apopka, Fla., was a former men’s golfer extraordinaire, he was a four-time All-American, who was also a three-time FAMU team MVP, and two-year team captain. He was the linchpin for the Rattlers’ 2000 National Minority Championship Team, finishing that event as the Top Individual Medalist, shooting a FAMU school record 10 under par 278.
Prior to FAMU, Rice worked as a supervisor for golf operations at the Jake Gaither golf course from 2002-2011.
Rice graduated from FAMU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2002. He is married to Regina Rice and they have two children, Morgan and Michael.
Keep up with all the latest news and information for PVAMU athletics by following pvpanthers.com as well as through Twitter via the PVAMU general sports account (@PVAMUPanthers). You can also follow along on Instagram.com/pvamupanthers.