Emily Loftin - Women's Golf Coach

Emily Loftin

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
eloftin@csufresno.edu

Last updated: June 10, 2021

A GLANCE AT LOFTIN

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Hometown: Olathe, KS
High School:
Spouse: Brad
Children: Olivia, Tatum

EDUCATION
University of Oklahoma (2005)
Bachelor's in Marketing

University of Oklahoma (2007)
Master's in Adult & Higher Education

COACHING HISTORY
Fresno State
2013-Present: Head Coach
Montana
2011-12: Head Coach
SMU
2009-11: Assistant Coach
Oklahoma
2007-09: Graduate Assistant

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Oklahoma
2001-05

Emily Loftin, the second head coach in Fresno State women’s golf program history, will enter her ninth season at the helm of the Bulldogs in the fall of 2021. She was hired on August 2, 2013.

Loftin took the Bulldogs to new heights in the spring 2021 season despite the uncertainties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled the fall portion of the season. The Bulldogs were up-and-running quickly, finishing as a team in the Top 11 in all six tournaments - including two runner up team finishes and one individual champion. In her eighth season as head coach, Loftin mentored Brigitte Thibault to more record-setting marks in Fresno State history as Thibault became the first Bulldog to advance to the NCAA Women’s Golf National Championship after advancing past the Stanford Regional this spring.

After seeing her second pupil become an individual Mountain West champion in 2019, year seven with the Bulldogs was limited to seven tournaments before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon the abrupt season’s end, the Bulldogs ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West with the lowest average team score of 293.43.

The year before was a memorable one, as Loftin crafted the second Mountain West Champion of her career when sophomore Brigitte Thibault claimed the title during her sixth season coaching the women's golf team. Thibault also earned an NCAA regional appearance and finished tied for 11th in the Auburn Regional.

In the 2018-19 season, five of her athletes were named All-American Scholars, six were Academic All-Mountain West selections and six were named Mountain West Scholar-Athletes.

In year five armed with three upperclassmen and five underclassmen on the roster, the 2017-18 team posted a 300.50 average score, had three top five finishes and placed seventh at the Mountain West Championships.

Six of her players were named to the Academic All-Mountain West team while four were also named Mountain West Scholar-Athletes. Furthermore, three were named All-American Scholars by the Women's Golf Coaches Association for holding at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA.

In her fourth season at Fresno State, highlights include guiding Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir to an NCAA at-large bid and All-Mountain selection, three ‘Dogs named WGCA academic All-Americans and having a team that earned its fourth-consecutive NCAA public recognition award for a perfect multi-year APR.

On the course, Loftin’s Bulldogs carded the program’s second-lowest season scoring average during her fourth season, posting a 296.74 (9.78 vs. par) in 23 rounds of stroke play. One season removed from setting the record at 295.00 during the 2015-16 season.

Her squads continued to add to her resume of having the lowest team single rounds in program history, carding a 7-under-par 281 at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, the second-lowest in school history. Her Bulldog led teams own each single round team-low scores within the programs’ all-time top 10 over the last three seasons.

The 2016-17 team matched the 2015-16 team for the Bulldogs’ top national ranking under Loftin, finishing in the final Golfstat.com poll at No. 68.

Now 4-for-4 in sending an individual to postseason play since coming the Fresno State, Bjorgvinsdottir was an at-large individual selection for the NCAA Regional in Albuquerque. Bjorgvinsdottir finished with a team-lead 73.73 season scoring average as a senior in 2016-17, and departed Fresno State after four years with the program’s all-time best career average at 74.39 over 102 rounds.

In the classroom, for the fourth time in program history, three or more individuals were named academic All-Americans (Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir, Mimi Ho and Yifei Wang), while the Mountain West honored five as scholar-athletes (3.5 GPA or better) and four Bulldogs were named Academic All-Mountain West.

In Loftin’s third season, Fresno State saw unprecedented success as the 2015-16 squad recorded the lowest team scoring average for a season in program history at 295.00 (7.26 vs. par), the ‘Dogs posted six team rounds scored par or better – shattering the previous record of two. They also set the lowest single-round scored by a team (279), lowest round vs. par (9-under-par 279), and carded the first 54-hole tournament scored under-par in program history (12-under-par 859).

The Bulldogs won their home-hosted Fresno State Classic for the third-straight season, against a 2016 field of 15 that included top 100 teams Boise State, CSU Fullerton, Idaho, Nevada and Santa Clara. An event cut to 36 holes due to weather, was won by the Bulldogs with a 1-over-par 577.

In addition to the home win, Fresno State was the runner-up at the Gold Rush (881) and claimed third in three other tournaments, including the Mountain West Women’s Golf Championship. The finish at the conference championship matched the Bulldogs best finish at the conference tournament in the program’s four years in the league and their 54-hole 897 was an all-time event low. Fresno State finished behind tournament champion No. 17 UNLV and No. 22 San Diego State. The Bulldogs were in third place and two shots back from the lead after round one, rose to second after Tuesday’s round, and dropped back to third at the conclusion of the championship.

Overall, the ’Dogs placed at least in the top six in seven of the 11 tournaments they played during the 2015-16 season.

Loftin guided freshman Kristin Simonsen was named an at-large selection by the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee to compete at the Stanford Regional (May 5-7). Simonsen became the second Bulldog freshman to earn an at-large bid in program history – joining Laura Luethke (2005). Simonsen was also named second-team All-Mountain West.

Loftin’s squad finished the season with its best ranking since taking over the program, ranking No. 68, while Bjorgvinsdottir, Simonsen and Sodersten were all ranked in the final poll individually.

During Loftin’s sophomore campaign in 2014-15, she led the Bulldogs to several all-time program bests that have since been bested, which included lowest single-round and lowest team season scoring average.

The Bulldogs achieved their best national ranking in 2014-15 since the 2007-08 season.

She won the Fresno State Classic for the second-straight season. The Bulldogs clinched the top spot with a 21-stroke win over the second-place opponent and took the top three spots on the individual leaderboard en route to defending their title.

Loftin’s star pupil, senior Madchen Ly, reached the NCAA Regionals for a second consecutive season. In 2015 Ly was selected to play in the South Bend Regional. Ly fired a 7-over at the tournament to finish in a tie for 26th overall. Prior to the NCAA selection, Ly was named first-team All-Mountain West.

Additionally, four Bulldogs were named to the 2015 All-Mountain All-Academic team (Mimi Ho, Madchen Ly, Hannah Sodersten and Samantha Spencer). Three were named MW Scholar Athletes (Mimi Ho, Kayla Luis) and two were named Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholars (Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir and Mimi Ho).

In Loftin’s first season as head coach of the women’s golf program, she guided freshman Bjorgvinsdottir to an individual Mountain West Championship title - the third individual to claim a conference championship and first from the Mountain West. The Bulldogs freshman took first place at 2-over par, 218 (71-71-76), sinking 10 birdies in the process.

The championship marked Bjorgvinsdottir best career finish, while teammate Madchen Ly claimed sixth-place to help place the ‘Dogs third overall at the Championship. Both of Loftin’s student-athletes were named to the All-Mountain West second-team at the conclusion of the season.

After her first season with the team, five members from the women’s golf team were named to the All-Mountain All-Academic team and two were named Mountain West Scholar Athletes.

Prior to Fresno State
Known as Emily Milberger (maiden name) when joining Fresno State in 2013, she came to Fresno after leading the University of Montana for two seasons as its head coach for the women’s golf team.

While coaching at Montana, Loftin led 38 women to top-25 finishes, secured the team record for the lowest three-round total in school history (903) and guided the Grizzlies to one team win along with two individual wins.

In Loftin’s first season she led an individual to a season scoring average of 76.30, the lowest average in program history and coached another to Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year accolades.

Her team owned the highest athletics GPA (3.41) in the 2013 spring semester at UM and she has had seven selections on the Academic All-Big Sky Conference team in the past two seasons.

Prior to her seizing her first head coaching position at Montana, she spent two seasons as an assistant at Southern Methodist University (2009-2011) and served as the interim head coach for SMU during the spring of 2011.

Loftin guided the Mustangs to a sixth-place finish that spring, just nine strokes behind league champion UTEP.

Alma Mater/Personal
She began her coaching career at the University of Oklahoma, her alma mater. After serving as a graduate assistant from 2005-07, she moved into her first full-time coaching position. She continued to coach for the Sooners for two seasons (2007-09) before accepting her position with SMU.

Loftin earned an undergraduate degree in marketing in May 2005, and then earned a master’s degree in adult and higher education in May 2007, both from Oklahoma.

Originally from Olathe, Kan., Loftin was a four-year letterwinner and four-time National Golf Coaches Association Academic All-American while at Oklahoma (2001-05). She was a second-team All-Big 12 selection as a senior and advanced to NCAA regionals in 2005 as an individual.

She is married to Brad Loftin and they have two children, Tatum and Olivia.