The 2016-17 season marks Bill Dicus’ 26th year at Appalachian State University and his 24th at the helm of the men’s golf program.
The 2015-16 year was another successful season for the Mountaineers, as the team placed in the top 10 in 10 tournaments. Just their second year in the Sun Belt Conference, Appalachian was led by Patrick Moriarty who had one of the best seasons in App history. The junior was selected to the all-Sun Belt second team after posting six top-10 finishes and leading the program with a school-record 71.17 scoring average. In the SBC rankings, Moriarty finished ninth overall.
In 2014-15, Appalachian's highlights from it's first year in the Sun Belt Conference included winning the Cleveland State Invitational and placing second at the Cape Fear Intercollegiate. The Mountaineers also won the University Cup against Gardner-Webb. The Apps were led by strong performances from Andrew Furr and Lee Mitchell at the CSU Invitational, as Furr tied for first place at 3-under after an impressive 68 in round two, which was the lowest round by anyone in the first two rounds.
Furr and Mitchell were strong all year, as was Moriarty, who qualfied for U.S. Amatuer at the Mountain Branch Golf Club in Joppa, Md. He won the tournament by shooting a 70-67, seven under par, to be one of three qualifiers. He was the first App State men's golfer to qualify for the prestigous tournament since Adam McLaughlin in 2002.
The Mountaineers closed their Southern Conference stint by finishing the tournament in the top 10 (eighth) after getting three top-5 finishes during the 2013-14 campaign. Casey Komline helped Appalachian to a second place finish at the Myrtle Beach National Invitaitonal by finishing first overall individually after firing a second round 71 for a tournament total of 140. John Michael Cole was also strong all year. He helped lead the Apps to a second place finish at the Hummingbird Intercollegiate by finishing in a tie for seventh after shooting a third round 73 for a total of 215 (two-over-par).
The 2012-13 campaign was a breakout season for the Mountaineers, as the squad wrapped up a fourth-place finish at the Southern Conference Tournament. The fourth-place finish would be the first time since 2001 Appalachian found itself in the top five.
Dicus' squad earned eight top-10 finishes during the season, highlightd by the spectacular play of his athletes at the Telich Sun Life Financial/CSU Invitation wit a 306-305-281=892. That play carried over to the spring, when the Mountaineers recorded their season-low tournament score of 862 (287-281-294) at the Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational, just one week before the Southern Conference Tournament.
Along with the great team play, several individuals left their mark on the program's history as well as with the SoCon and other tournaments throughout the year.
Casey Komline earned all-conference honors, while taking home a team-best six top-20 finishes in 2012-13. He is currently ranked first with the lowest career stroke average at 74.00 with 69 total rounds played. He had a round of 67 at the Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational that would also put him on the all-time list in that category.
With a young squad in 2010-11, Dicus' team surpassed its modest expectations in what was thought to be a rebuilding year.
In April, then-freshman Caleb Keck matched Komline with a round of 67 to make the all-time list but notched a tournament title at the Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational. Keck won by one stroke to win at the event, while Komline finished tied for 13th.
That tournament was ASU's third top-10 finish in the spring as a mix of veterans and newcomers combined for a 296.83 stroke average on the season, which stands as the programs best stroke average.
In 2009-10, the head coach saw his hard work pay off as senior Casey Johnson won the Spring Hill Suites Intercollegiate and later placed second at the Mission Inn Intercollegiate. The senior graduated as one of the top golfers in the Southern Conference and one of the best in ASU history.
Johnson graduated with four of the five lowest single-round scores in program history, as well as the best 54-hole tournament score (207). His stroke average is also the best in ASU history, at 74.79 spread over 112 rounds. (He narrowly edges Bern Gregory's mark of 74.90.)
The Apps placed in the top-10 in eight out of 11 tournaments for the season, including a third-place finish at the Mission Inn Intercollegiate. ASU's 298.79 team stroke average in 2009-10 stands as the second-best in program history, behind only 2000-01's 298.12.
In 2008, Dicus led the team to a season-best finish of fifth place at the North-South Intercollegiate in Jacksonville, Fla.
During his tenure with the men’s team, Appalachian has finished as high as fourth twice (in 2001 and 2013) in the Southern Conference, one of college golf’s most prestigious conferences.
Dicus led Bern Gregory onto the all-conference team in 2000 and also led the team to fourth place in 2001 in the Southern Conference.
While at Appalachian, he also coached the women’s team for fifteen seasons. The Mountaineers placed second in the SoCon three times, placing behind only national-power Furman.
Dicus also coached the league’s Freshman of the Year, Kelly Clements, in 1996. Dicus mentored two All Conference performers, Merryll McElwain (1994-96) and Brittany Winterton (1997). He led the Mountaineers to consecutive sixth-place showings in the very competitive SoCon Championship in 2006 and ‘07, the Apps’ best finish since 2003.
A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Dicus is a class A member of the Professional Golfers’ Associtation of America. He received a Bachelor of Science from Campbell University and has done post-graduate work at Appalachian.
In addition to his duties at ASU, Dicus serves as a golf professional at Linville Ridge Country Club in Linville, N.C., one of the premier courses in North Carolina. The Dicus family is heavily involved in charity work throughout the High Country, as well.
Dicus and his wife, Pepe, reside in Boone.
