COSTA MESA -- Vanguard Athletic Director
Jeff Bussell has announced that head golf coach Jeff Anderson is stepping down from his role. The coach since the founding of both programs before the 2018-19 school year, Anderson ends his time at Vanguard with eight seasons in the book and two conference championships.
"Building this program from the ground up has been one of the greatest honors of my life," relayed Anderson. "While it's time for me to step away from the role, I will always be proud of the student-athletes and the relationships that helped shape this program into a family."
"I have had the privilege of watching Coach Jeff Anderson build something truly special at Vanguard University," said Bussell. "When we brought him on board to start the golf program, we weren't just hiring a golf coach, we were welcoming a man of God whose faith and love for young people would shape this program from the ground up. Over nine seasons, Coach Anderson gave everything he had to the program, earning GSAC Coach of the Year honors, winning two GSAC championships, developing All-Conference players, reaching the NCAA Regional in the first season of eligibility, and most importantly, investing in the spiritual and personal growth of every student-athlete in his care. His faithful service has left a legacy that will echo in this program for generations. We are grateful to God for the journey and wish him many blessings in his future endeavors. He will always be a part of the Lions family."
Anderson made his first appearance on the links for VU with the men's team on September 17, 2018, at the OUAZ Fall Invite. After placing seventh, the men played the first individual match in program history against Biola. Both teams then went to the Oregon Tech Invite, where the women made their first entry. While both teams made strides during the season, it would be the women who made the biggest splash, as the team took the Golden State Athletic Conference Championship by 15 shots over Hope International. That sent the Lions to the NAIA National Championship, where the squad placed 30th. Malia Kiger of the women's team and Trevor Wales of the men's team (which finished fifth at the conference tournament) were named to the All-GSAC team, while Anderson was named the Coach of the Year on the women's side for a solid awards haul in year one.
The second season did not see any champions, as the spring semester got axed due to the pandemic, but year three saw the men place fifth again at the GSAC Tournament while the women came close to defending their title by placing second. The women went down to third at the 2022 addition of the tournament, but rolled upwards from there, placing second in 2023 and ending tied for first in 2024 in the final GSAC Tournament in program history. After six seasons of NAIA competition, the women's team had three tournament victories, as the squad won the Rustic Canyon Shootout on February 15, 2023, in addition to the two GSAC Tournaments. The lineup had four individuals win a tournament during its NAIA tenure, collected six All-GSAC golfers, and had one GSAC Freshman of the Year in
Annabell Le in 2022.
The men, meanwhile, finished fifth at the GSAC Tournament every year except 2022, when the squad placed seventh. Bryce Johnson had the program's first hole-in-one on February 5, 2020, and Thomas Baycroft had another on April 26, 2022. Yet the men's side took off over Anderson's two years in charge after the switch to the Pacific West Conference.
Alexander Elia was an All-PacWest golfer the past two years, while he was joined by
Fisher Ransom on that list this past season, giving Anderson four laurels on the men's team. Those two also collected the first individual gold medals in program history this year, with Ransom winning The Master's University Danish Invite after ending tied for first at the Western Washington Fall Invite, though he technically ended second after losing a three-hole playoff. The entire roster got to hoist the trophy at the TMU event, the first tournament win in men's program history, and Elia won the Dominican Spring Invite during the second half of the season. After placing in sixth during the PacWest Tournament in 2024-25, the Lions ended tied for fourth at the PacWest Championships this past year, the highest finish in program history at a conference championship. That result impressed local rankers, as the squad was selected for its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance as an at-large team and ended tied for 15th.
On the women's side,
Sehlai Purcell was named an All-PacWest golfer in 2025 to become the first VU women's golfer to claim the honor in the new league.
Theresa Shaw received a nod this year, giving Coach Anderson eight All-Conference golfers on the women's side across his tenure. The women won the PCH Invite, hosted by Menlo, on February 25, 2025, with Purcell picking up the individual trophy. Shaw carried the banner for the Blue and Gold this year, as she won the RJGA Shootout on September 16, ended tied for fourth at the PacWest Tournament, and went to the Regional as an individual, placing 16th to just miss the cut for the National Tournament.
Anderson made sure his charges excelled in the classroom, with the men netting four NAIA and GSAC Scholar-Athletes and one NAIA Scholar Team award for the 2022-23 season, with nine making the PacWest All-Academic Team last summer. The women have netted over 20 individuals for academic honors over the years, and the team was an NAIA Scholar Team in 2022-23.
