Head coach Mike Whitson is in his third year at Indiana State leading the women’s golf program, which began competition during the 2006-07 season. He has been involved with college golf for over 10 years as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach and brings championship experience to the ISU golf program.
2006 was a banner year for the Sycamores under the direction of Whitson as ISU finished eighth in the program's first-ever appearance at the State Farm MVC Tournament. The Sycamores climbed up to as high as fourth on the leaderboard during the final round en route to its eighth place finish. Breanne Smith was the Sycamores' top performer at the MVC Tournament, finishing in a tie for sixth place. For her efforts, she was named a member of the All-Missouri Valley Conference squad as a freshman.
Strong on the course and in the classroom, Indiana State placed five different golfers on the Academic All-American list. Those five tied the Sycamores with a handful of other institutions nationally for the most Academic All-Americans on one team in all of NCAA Division I.
As a player, Whitson had success as a player at both the college ranks and as a professional, before taking over as head coach at Transylvania University. He then moved on to the University of Tennessee where he spent three seasons as the Assistant Women’s Golf Coach with the Lady Volunteers from 2001-2004. Whitson helped UT advance to the NCAA tournament in each of his seasons, including the NCAA Championships during the spring of 2004 where the team placed 11th. The 2002-03 regular season also saw great success as the Lady Vols set a school record by winning three tournament titles, including the Lady Boilermaker Invitational, the Auburn Tiger Derby, and the Lady Kat Invitational.
The Lady Vols were regularly ranked in the top 10 nationally during Whitson’s tenure at UT, and reached as high as No. 2 in the NGCA Division I Coaches poll. He also coached three All-Americans and three Academic All-Americans, including a pair of current LPGA members; Young-A Yang abd Violeta Retamoza..
Before working at Tennessee, Whitson served as the head coach of the women's golf team at Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky., during the 2000-01 season. In his one year with the Pioneers, he led the team to a No. 16 ranking in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. He also guided the team to the title at the Brescia University Invitational as well as three second place finishes. In addition, he coached sophomore Catherine Benson to a third-place finish at the NAIA Nationals, earning her All-America honors.
Before signing on with the Pioneers, Whitson played on a number of professional golf tours, including the Hooters Tour, Central Florida Tour and Development Players Tour. As a pro, he claimed the 1998 Owensboro Open and finished among the top 10 in five other events. As an amateur, he won the Club Car Classic in May 1998 and the Michelob Classic in May 1997. He was also a two-time runner-up at the Kentucky State Amateur Championships in June 1997 and 1998.
Whitson graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Colonels and was an all-conference selection in 1998. Whitson set the conference single-round record with a 64 at the Springhouse Golf Course in Nashville, in April of 1998. He also served as president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee while at EKU.
In 2005, Whitson earned his masters degree from the University of Kansas in education with an emphasis in athletic administration. He and his wife, Autumn, reside in Terre Haute.
