A New Era Is Here | FGCU names McCoy men’s golf coach
A new era of FGCU men’s golf has arrived.
Florida Gulf Coast University Athletics announced this week that Lee McCoy, who developed four All-Americans in three years at Columbus State, has been named the fifth head coach for the FGCU men’s golf program.
In three seasons as head coach of the Cougars, McCoy has not only produced four All-Americans but also five All-Region golfers, four All-Peach Belt Conference players and 12 All-Academic honorees, all while leading his teams to a top 15 final ranking in his past two years.
“I am beyond excited to join the FGCU family,” McCoy said. “I truly believe that the sky is the limit for this program, and I look forward to building on the foundation that Coach Danna built during his time leading the program. The future of FGCU Golf is extremely bright, and I can’t wait to see the program become a consistent national threat in the very near future. Wings Up!”
McCoy’s teams have improved consistently throughout his tenure. The Cougars registered 14 top 4 finishes in 34 total tournaments played, advanced to the NCAA Regionals all three years of his leadership and advanced to the NCAA Championships in the past two, finishing as high as sixth in stroke play and advancing to the quarterfinals of match play in 2026.
“I am excited to welcome Lee to the FGCU family,” said Interim Director of Athletics Lauren Leister. “His winning mentality and proven results make him a great choice to lead our men’s golf team. I am excited to see him continue the history of success we have built within that program.”
Inheriting a program that was ranked No. 65 in the country, McCoy led the Cougars to finish no lower than 28th (2023-24), while finishing 14th in 2024-25 and No. 8 last season.
His stint at Columbus State came after spending a year as a student assistant coach at Georgia, helping to lead the Bulldogs to a first-place finish at the NCAA East Lansing Regional, followed by a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. That year as a student assistant coach came as he returned to Athens to complete his undergraduate degree, following a six-year professional career.
Beyond his teams’ success on the course and in the classroom, McCoy led the philanthropic efforts for the golf programs at Columbus State, including the construction of a new 6,500-sq. ft. team clubhouse.
A native of Dunedin, Florida, McCoy comes to Fort Myers with a prestigious golf resume. He began his collegiate career in 2013 as a student-athlete on the men’s golf team at the University of Georgia. As a Bulldog, he posted seven individual victories, was named the 2016 SEC Player of the Year, earned three All-America selections and holds the second-lowest career scoring average in Georgia history.
McCoy left Georgia in 2016 to pursue a professional golf career. He won the PGA Tour Canada Freedom 55 Financial Open in 2017 and captured medalist honors at the 2017 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School Finals. McCoy spent two full seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour and competed in 13 PGA Tour events, recording a career-best finish of fourth place.
After his pro playing career, McCoy returned to Georgia in 2022 to complete his degree in housing management and policy, graduating in the spring of 2023. During the 2022-23 season, he also served as a student assistant coach for the Bulldogs while working as the director of Online Instruction for Sub 70 Golf.