STANFORD, Calif. – Lauren Dobashi, who helped guide the Stanford women's golf team to NCAA and Pac-12 titles, and three consecutive appearances in the national semifinals, has been promoted to associate head coach, it was announced Monday.
"Since Lauren's arrival, our team has enjoyed four of the most successful years in program history," said Anne Walker, the Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women's Golf. "On a daily basis, Lauren looks for ways to make our players better individually and as a group. No task is too small or too big, and she handles her responsibilities with grace and enthusiasm, which allows our group to function at the highest level."
In addition to her coaching duties, Dobashi oversees team travel and helps coordinate recruiting and scheduling.
A native of Gold River, California, Dobashi was a four-year letter winner in golf at UC Davis, playing the last two years for Walker. Dobashi was one of Walker's first recruits in 2005 and helped the Aggies transition to Division I.
After earning degrees in graphic design and communications, Dobashi joined Walker's staff at UC Davis, where she helped the team achieve a top-10 national ranking, and three straight individual and team Big West titles. The Aggies won nine tournaments while sending two players to the U.S. Open and five into the professional ranks.
Dobashi reunited with Walker at Stanford as an assistant coach in 2014, and they guided the Cardinal to its second ever Pac-12 title (1999). In 2015, Stanford captured the program's first national crown, followed by a runner-up finish in 2016.
This year, the Cardinal was ranked No. 1 for most of the season and claimed a school-record five victories. Stanford advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships, where it fell 3-2 to eventual winner Arizona State.
During Dobashi's tenure, the Cardinal has won 15 tournaments and produced 12 All-Americans.
"I have watched Lauren grow from a rookie coach at UC Davis to one of the finest assistant coaches in America," Walker said. "She completes our team in every way and we are thrilled to be able to celebrate her and acknowledge her with this promotion."