University of Delaware Athletics
Men's Golf
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Director of Recruiting
- Email:
- pireland@udel.edu
- Phone:
- 302-831-2110
Peter Ireland begins his fifth season as University of Delaware men’s and women’s golf assistant coach and director of recruitment in 2021-22.
The Blue Hen women's team has posted 27 top-10 finishes during Ireland's first four seasons, and placed second in the CAA Championship in each of the first two years. Ariane Klotz earned first team All-CAA honors his first two years, while Thitaree Sakulbunpanich was selected CAA Rookie of the Year in 2018 before earlnng first team All-CAA accolades in 2019. Additionally, Ireland helped Patty Post earn her second LPGA T&CP Northeast Section Coach of the Year honor.
Last year Delaware won the Kingsmill Intercollegiate title, while Oihana Etxezarreta became the first freshman medalist in program history by posting an 11-shot victory at the tournament.
The UD men posted nine top-10 finishes during each of his first two seasons in Newark, before earning five top-10 finishes in 2019-20. The Blue Hens recorded second place finishes in the George Mason Invitational and Manor Intercollegiate during his first year, before placing second and third respectively at the Villanova Fall and Spring Invitationals the following year.
The Blue Hens' 561 total at the Villanova Spring Invitational set a 36-hole program record, while Matt Pulgini carded a 68-66 to post the second lowest individual two-round score. Additionally, Roberto Nieves established a freshman record by averaging 73.93 shots per round for the year.
In 2019-20 UD set a school record with a 74.21 team stroke average, and also established a program mark with a 267 during the final round of the Loyola Intercollegiate. Nieves, who earned medalist honors at the Loyola Intercollegiate, set a single season record with a 70.65 stroke average. He also tied the single round record with a 64 at the Golfweek Program Championship, and carded the two lowest three-round scores (202 at Golfweek and 205 at Loyola) in UD history.
Nieves averaged 71.35 shots per round last spring, second lowest in a UD single season, and became the first UD men's golfer to earn first team All-CAA honors since 2011.
Ireland arrived in Newark after spending the previous five and a half years as the head men’s and women’s golf coach at Thomas University in Thomasville, Ga., where he led his teams to seven NAIA National Championship appearances.
The 2014 Sun Conference Men’s Golf Coach of the Year after leading the Night Hawks men’s squad to the league title that season, Ireland coached eight male and female players to achieve NAIA All-American honors. He led the men’s team to a 12th place finish at the 2014 NAIA National Championship, and the women’s squad to a 17th place finish at the 2016 NAIA National Championship.
Five Thomas players earned medalist honors under Ireland, while he led the teams to six tournament victories. Ireland, who was the Sun Conference Men’s Golf Chairman, organized and executed practice, recruiting, tournament travel and player development for both Night Hawks teams.
Ireland graduated with a communication degree in 2011 from the University of Arizona, where he was a four-year letterwinner on the men’s golf team. He competed in 28 collegiate/amateur events, posting a career scoring average of 75.15 in collegiate events. Ireland recorded six top-25 finishes during his career, including a low round of 67.
Prior to arriving at Thomas, Ireland spent two years playing professionally on the National Pro Golf Tour, averaging 73.82 shots per round in 11 events.
Ireland and his wife, Sarah, reside in the Newark area.
updated 8/5/21
