We’ll Prove It Again
In May 2025, the Georgia Southern University women’s golf team found themselves competing in a tournament they’d never played in before: The NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.
It may have been a first for Georgia Southern’s program, but they were led by a coach who was no stranger to that level of competition.
Head Coach Mimi Burke, who took over the program in 2021, started her coaching career with Purdue University as an assistant coach. In her last year, the 2017 squad made it to the NCAA Finals, where they finished 11th. After moving to Athens, Georgia, to be an assistant coach for the University of Georgia, she helped lead the Bulldogs to their first NCAA Finals appearance since 2016.
Just five years ago, Burke brought her coaching philosophy to Statesboro to take over a program in need of revitalization. The team wasn’t even ranked in the top 100 programs in the country. But that didn’t deter Burke from the role. It gave her a blank canvas to build something from the ground up.
“One of my goals when I stepped in Statesboro was to make this team into one that could contend at the national championship,” she said. “And to do that in four years says a lot about Georgia Southern.”
That turnaround is being noticed and acknowledged across the country. The Sun Belt Conference, of which Georgia Southern is a member, awarded Burke with Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors for this past season.
Burke credits the explosive growth of the program to two things: the culture and support from the Eagles Athletics community.
“We have resources that stand hand in hand with top programs, and we can be a top program as well,” she said. “We proved that last year, and we’ll prove it again.”
Photo Credit: AJ Henderson
Growing the program went beyond recruitment and developing individual talent. Burke focused her early days on building a strong administrative bed for her golfers to tee off from, including finer details like scheduling to get her players competing in the strongest field possible with the strongest competition in the country.
Additionally, Burke said she needed to build a robust culture for her players to succeed and grow in, as well as immerse the players in the Statesboro community to the point of name and face recognition on and off the course.
“It makes the players feel at home,” she noted. “It’s a special culture and environment to be around. Recruits realize that’s an important part of the experience, and that Georgia Southern has a family feel to it.”
The Eagles found themselves on a meteoric rise in the rankings and had one of the most successful seasons in program history. After coming in second in the NCAA Regional Tournament, years of program success and alumni who have hoisted professional trophies, this was the first time the women’s golf team competed for the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.
They were one of 30 teams to participate in the NCAA Championship in California. They finished in 24th, but Burke said getting the team to that level is only the beginning.
“It means a lot to me, and I wear it as a badge of honor,” she said. “It shows we can compete at the highest level if we have the resources necessary, and we do. We’re excited to help build a history book for women’s golf, because it is such a young program.”
In preparing for the tournament, the team mentally approached it like any other event. Taking it day by day, which is a consistent mindset the coaching staff held throughout the season.
While the team didn’t bring home a trophy, they believe they have the talent, resources and culture to make additional attempts. As Burke noted, anything is possible once the team gets to the course.
Georgia Southern’s golf program is built on a long-standing tradition of success and a culture of excellence in golf. Four Eagles have won a PGA tournament. Most recently, former Eagle golfer Steven Fisk won the 2025 Sanderson Farms Championship.
Burke said this relationship with the men’s program isn’t competitive, but symbiotic.
“The better the men do, the better it is for us and vice versa,” Burke said. “Teamwise, for both to be good and have a relationship only makes all of our players better.”
The next step for Burke is to prove her team is more than just a one-time champion contender, but rather a team built on a winning culture. The key for Burke is continuing to focus on that strong foundation of consistency and making any necessary adjustments.
“Every team is different, and they need to be coached differently,” said Burke. “Being true to myself and being consistent along the way will help get them there.”
— Jacob Notermann