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Paul Chavez
Head Golf Coach
Hometown: Odessa, TX
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Coach Paul Chavez is entering his 15th season at the helm of the Wrangler Golf Program. During his tenure, Coach Chavez has revived the Wrangler Golf Program to national prominence. The Wranglers won BACK-TO-BACK National Championships in 2004 and 2005. The Wranglers have won over 100 team championships which include: 2 NJCAA National Championships, 8 NJCAA Region V Championships, 7 NJCAA Texas State Championships, and 8 WJCAC Conference Championships under Coach Chavez. In all, Coach Chavez has produced 17 NJCAA All-Americans, 6 GCAA Ping All-Americans, 41 NJCAA All-Region, 26 NJCAA All-State, and 50 WJCAC All-Conference performers. Coach Chavez has also been named National Coach of the Year four times (2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008). To date, 57 Odessa College Golfers have transferred to four-year universities under Coach Chavez. For his diligent work and success, Coach Chavez was inducted into the NJCAA Golf Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007. He is the third Odessa College Golf Coach to receive this prestigious honor (Jimmy Russell and Barry Rodenhaver are the others).
During the 2009-2010 season, the Wranglers completed a successful regular season, finishing in the Top 5 in all twelve tournaments. The Wranglers captured the WJCAC, Region V, Texas State, and District championships!! The Wranglers finished ranked #3 in the nation in the final NJCAA poll. Unfortunately, weather shortened the 2010 NJCAA National Championship by one day. The Wranglers were in prime moving position, but finished tied for 5th place after 3 of 4 rounds were played. The Wranglers were led by freshman sensation Abraham Ancer. Ancer was named the 2010 Jack Nicklaus Award recipient as the Golf Coaches Association of America Collegiate Player of the Year at the junior college level as well as the Phil Mickelson award winner as the Freshman of the Year!!! Ancer was also the Texas State, District 2, Region V, and WJCAC Individual Champion. Ancer and teammate Greg Snow were both named to the GCAA All-Freshman Team and earned NJCAA All-American and GCAA Ping All-American honors.
Ancer claimed medalist honors six times during his freshman campaign - including stretch of five-of-six events late in the season. A member of the PING NJCAA Division I All-America First-Team, Ancer picked up his first individual title while helping the Wranglers to the team championship at the Odessa College Invitational. Ancer closed out his first year at Odessa by winning his last four events of the season leading up to the NJCAA Division I Championship - the Green Tree Invitational, the NJCAA Texas State Championship, the District II Championship and the WJCAC Invitational. Ancer finished tied for second at the NJCAA Division I Championships. Coach Chavez has brought in a great recruiting class for the 2010 – 2011 season and is looking forward to another championship season.
In 2004, the Wranglers won an unprecedented 14 team Championships in a row and finished the season with a perfect 119-0 record, including the first of two National Championships under Coach Chavez. In the same year, Coach Chavez was selected to coach Team USA in the World University Golf Championships (Thailand) and won the bronze medal. Coach Chavez was once again selected to coach Team USA in the 2006 World University Golf Championships (Italy) and came away with the silver medal.
Coach Chavez is also involved with other activities away from the golf course. He is a former President of the NJCAA Golf Coaches Association (division 1), serves on the national poll committee, the GCAA Ping All-American committee, the City of Odessa Advisory committee for Ratliff Ranch, volunteer coach for upward basketball, and was instrumental in the use of Golfstat scoring system for NJCAA golf. Coach Chavez has also been the guest speaker as several engagements and is involved with many church activities.
An avid golfer, Coach Chavez has competed in the National Coaches Golf Tournament in Las Vegas, NV, finishing in the Top 5 in 1997-2000. Coach Chavez also competed in the Odessa Cup, Mission Dorado Club Championship, and the Odessa City Golf Championship. Through Coach Chavez’ leadership, the Wranglers have also been involved with the Nationwide Tour Permian Basin Open, West Texas Kidney foundation, Joe Beene Golf tournament, free Junior Golf Clinics, and other charity events.
Lastly, Coach Chavez is proud to conduct various youth clinics and camps for children in the Permian Basin area. He has also conducted the first ever Nike Golf and the Odessa College Elite Golf Camps during the summer. In 2007, Odessa College acquired Champions Golf Center (formerly Legacy Golf) which is one of the premier practice facilities in the state of Texas. Coach Chavez serves as manager of the facility which is open year-round.
Chavez earned an associate degree from Carl Sandburg College and a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Physical Education from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. He and his wife, Dottie, have two sons, Kyler and Jaden. |
