App State golf director Heather Brown completed her 15th season as the head women's golf coach for the Mountaineers in 2022-23.

An App State alum who was a team MVP during her four years playing for the Mountaineers, Brown returned to her alma mater in 2008. She led App State to 20 team victories and oversaw 21 individual titles from a combined 10 golfers.

App State had perfect single-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores every year from 2009-10 to 2020-21 (the latest documented cycle during her tenture) and repeatedly earned Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA during that stretch.

The top eight season-long team scoring averages in program history all occurred in the last 11 seasons. Despite a shortened 2019-20 campaign due to the rise of COVID-19, the Black and Gold amassed the lowest seasonal team average in school history, 305.67 over 15 rounds of play. 

Freshman Hannah Wang and junior Abby Bolt led the way amidst the historic season, with Wang shattering the program's lowest individual single-season stroke average with a 74.14. Bolt followed close behind at third in program hitory with a 75.87. 

Two Mountaineers posted individual runner-up finishes, including one from that of a freshman, during the 2019-20 campaign as well. Off the course, the women's golf program received a Public Recognition Award in 2020 for the seventh straight year by posting a multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR) score in the top 10 percent of their respective sport. Brown's program had both a perfect single-year and multiyear APR score of 1,000.

A 3.85 team GPA during the spring of semester of 2020 not only marked the highest semester team GPA in program history, but the highest semester team GPA among all App State sports.

In 2018-19, Brown directed the Mountaineers to multiple tournaments victories in a spring season for the first time since 2014-15. App State finished first among 11 teams at the French Broad Collegiate Invitational just two weeks after securing another first-place effort in a six-team field at the Bucknell Spring Break Intercollegiate.

Three team members were also named All-American Scholars by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) for the 2018-19 season.

Entering the 2019-20 season, the Black and Gold has posted 33 rounds of 305 or lower during Brown's tenure, including 23 in the past three seasons. Prior to her arrival, the Black and Gold had reached that mark just eight times in program history.

App State recorded its lowest team round in school history, a 285 at the 2016-17 Sun Belt Championship.

In 2014-15, App State enjoyed its first year as a part of the Sun Belt Conference. On the course, the Black and Gold finished in the top five in a tournament four times, including winning the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate and University Cup before finishing fourth in their first Sun Belt Championship.

In 2013-14, the Mountaineers closed out their time in the Southern Conference on a high note. Then-rising junior Haley Zagoria qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. As a team, App State finished in top five four times, including a win at the Quinnipiac Classic, the Dayton Tri-Match and the University Cup. The Black and Gold also placed fourth at the Terrier Intercollegiate.

Brown's squad exceeded expectations in 2012-13, relying on outstanding performances from a trio of seniors. Seniors Lauren Smith, Yue Xu and Rumbidzai Masamvu led the way for the Mountaineers, earning a tournament victory each, respectively.

App State also notched two second-place finishes, starting the spring season strong at the UD Hilton Head Invitational and the Benbow Invitational. Less than a month later, Brown's team collected a title at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate, which featured a 12-team field. Appalachian went on to finish eighth in the Southern Conference Tournament.

In 2011-12, the Mountaineers claimed their second team title in two years at the Winthrop Intercollegiate in October. The Black and Gold claimed the top three scores of the tournament as Yue Xu earned medalist honors with matching 72s (E) for a tournament score of 144. Senior Rumbidzai Masamvu followed, shooting 72-75=147(+3), finishing second in the tournament. Senior Lauren Smith finished third, carding a 74-74=148 (+4). Senior Mimi Burke tallied a 74-79=153, finishing 12th in the competition.

Appalachian notched six top-five team finishes in 12 tournaments on the season and posted the lowest team score in program history (311.52) for a third straight year.

In the 2011-12 season, Xu became the first All-SoCon honoree since 2006. In the same season, Kristina Boo took over the career stroke average lead at App State with a 79.26 while four different players combined for 21 top-20 finishes throughout 2011-12.

In 2009-10, senior Brooke Dehart and four freshmen recorded a pair of second-place finishes, both at the Campbell Fighting Camel Classic and the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate. It marked the first time that the Mountaineers placed second or better twice in a season since 2001-02.

Newcomer Yue Xu then single-handedly rewrote the record books with her performance at the Southern Conference Tournament. The freshman became the first App State women's golfer to win the event, securing the title with a three-stroke victory. Her performance at the tournament earned her freshman All-SoCon honors. Under Brown's tutelage, Xu set Appalachian's single-round record (69) and 54-hole record (69-72-76=217) at the SoCon Championship. She also set a new single-season stroke average record, averaging a score of 75.6 (previously 77.8).

All told, Xu placed in the top-10 in all six spring tournaments in 2010. Brown's solid recruiting efforts began to pay off with team depth, as fellow newcomers Rumbidzai Masamvu (79.3) and Kristina Boo (80.4) ranked second and third on the team in stroke average for the season.

In her first season at the helm, Brown’s team posted four top-10 team finishes, including fourth place as the host team at the Mimosa Hills Women’s Intercollegiate. She helped lead Kerri Dice and Brooke DeHart to breakout seasons in 2008-09, where the duo shaved a combined four strokes off their averages from the year prior.

Brown was tabbed to lead the Appalachian State University women’s golf program on May 16, 2008. Brown, a 1989 App State graduate, brings 18 years of professional golf experience with her back to the High Country.

From 2002-08, the Madison, Conn. native headed the Golf Juniors program at Richter Park Golf Course in Danbury, Conn., where she mentored dozens of young golfers, coached high school golfers and taught several hundred private lessons on an annual basis. Additionally, Brown helped lead the Danbury High School girls team to a state championship in 2004-05.

Prior to her time in Danbury, Brown served as a golf professional throughout Connecticut at Tamarack Country Club from 1994-95 and 1998-2001, Rolling Hills Country Club from 1996-97, Cabarrus Country Club from 1992-93 and Klein’s Driving Range from 1995-96.

As a collegiate player, Brown played for App State head coaches Tom Adams and Peter Rucker from 1984-88. She was both the captain and team MVP in 1988. 

Brown replaced Bill Dicus, who coached both the App State men’s and women’s programs the previous 13 years.