Staff Directory
- Title:
- Women's Golf Head Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- (734) 615-6928
Jan Dowling enters her 14th season as head coach of the University of Michigan women’s golf program, having helped transform the Wolverines into one of the Big Ten’s premier programs and a consistent national contender.
Since being named the fifth head coach in program history in 2013, Dowling has guided Michigan to four of its five NCAA Finals trips and nine NCAA postseason berths overall. Across 20 years in collegiate coaching, she has helped lead programs to 16 NCAA appearances at Kent State University, Duke University, University of Florida, University of Tennessee and University of Michigan, including seven trips to the NCAA Finals.
Under Dowling, Michigan advanced to NCAA Regionals in 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, while Ashley Lau (2019) and Mara Janess (2025) earned individual postseason selections. Each of Michigan’s six team appearances advanced to the NCAA Finals, highlighted by a program-best tie for 16th in 2017. The Wolverines also added top-20 national finishes in 2016, 2021 and 2022.
Dowling’s teams have also thrived on the conference stage. After a runner-up finish at the 2021 Big Ten Championships, Michigan captured the first Big Ten team title in program history in 2022 behind individual champion Monet Chun. Chun later became a two-time conference medalist in 2024, joining an exclusive group of multiple Big Ten champions. Elodie Van Dievoet started the momentum in 2017 by earning Michigan’s first Big Ten individual title.
The 2021-22 season marked one of the finest years in program history. Michigan collected three team championships and three runner-up finishes before winning the Big Ten Championship and advancing through its home NCAA Regional at U-M Golf Course to a second straight NCAA Finals appearance. Dowling was named the 2022 Big Ten Coach of the Year, while Lau became Michigan’s first Big Ten Golfer of the Year and Mary Fossum Award recipient after posting a school-record 71.84 scoring average.
During Dowling’s tenure, Michigan has won seven team titles, produced 13 medalists and earned 16 All-Big Ten honors from eight different players. Hailey Borja became the first golfer in conference history to earn five career All-Big Ten selections, while Lau and Chun became Michigan’s only two-time first-team honorees.
Success has extended well beyond the course. Dowling’s teams have earned the NCAA Division I APR Public Recognition Award for 11 consecutive seasons while maintaining a perfect Graduation Success Rate throughout her tenure. Michigan golfers have combined for 19 WGCA All-America Scholar honors, 11 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recognitions and 61 Academic All-Big Ten selections during her tenure.
Before arriving in Ann Arbor, Dowling spent one season as an assistant coach at University of Tennessee following a successful three-year run as head coach at University of Florida. She guided the Gators to three straight NCAA Regional appearances and two NCAA Finals berths, including a top-10 national finish in 2011.
Prior to Florida, Dowling served as an assistant coach at Duke University, helping the Blue Devils finish sixth nationally at the NCAA Finals. She also returned to her alma mater, Kent State University, where she worked with both the men’s and women’s programs and helped the men record the best NCAA finish in program history.
As a professional, Dowling competed on the Futures Tour and BMO Canadian Women’s Tour, recording six top-10 finishes and qualifying for the 2005 LPGA Canadian Women’s Open. Her amateur career was equally decorated, highlighted by winning the 2000 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and representing Canada at the 2002 World Amateur Team Championship.
A standout collegiate golfer at Kent State from 1998-2002, Dowling helped lead the Golden Flashes to four MAC Championships while earning four first-team All-MAC honors. She was named the 1999 MAC Freshman of the Year, 2000 MAC Player of the Year and won conference individual titles in both 1999 and 2000.
Off the course, Dowling excelled academically and was recognized as Kent State Woman of the Year in 2002 before later becoming the first women’s golfer inducted into the Kent State Varsity “K” Athletics Hall of Fame.
Dowling has also represented Michigan and international golf on the coaching stage, serving as assistant coach for the International Team at the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup before serving as head coach in 2019 and guiding the Internationals to a 33.5-26.5 victory.
Dowling also holds certifications through the Titleist Performance Institute and TrackMan and continues to compete in state and national amateur events after regaining her amateur status through the USGA.
A native of Bradford, Dowling earned her bachelor’s degree in leisure studies from Kent State University in 2002. She and her husband, Thien Nguyen, reside in Ann Arbor with their son, Simon.
The Jan Dowling File
Born: September 26, 1980
Hometown: Bradford, Ontario, Canada
High School: Bradford District High School, 1999
College: Kent State University, 2002
Degree: Leisure Studies
Family: husband: Thien (Nguyen) | Children: son: Simon
Coaching Record
| Year | College | Position | Conference | Regional | NCAA/Match Play |
| 2008-09 | Kent State | Assistant Coach | 1st (MAC) | 10th | -- |
| 2007-08 | Kent State | Assistant Coach | 1st (MAC) | 14th | -- |
| 2008-09 | Duke | Assistant Coach | 3rd (ACC) | t-6th | 6th |
| 2009-10 | Florida | Head Coach | 10th (SEC) | 11th | -- |
| 2010-11 | Florida | Head Coach | 9th (SEC) | 7th | t-10th |
| 2011-12 | Florida | Head Coach | 4th (SEC) | 4th | 12th |
| 2012-13 | Tennessee | Assistant Coach | 9th (SEC) | 9th | -- |
| 2013-14 | Michigan | Head Coach | 11th (B1G) | -- | -- |
| 2014-15 | Michigan | Head Coach | 5th (B1G) | -- | -- |
| 2015-16 | Michigan | Head Coach | 6th (B1G) | 6th | t-18th |
| 2016-17 | Michigan | Head Coach | 5th (B1G) | 6th | t-16th |
| 2017-18 | Michigan | Head Coach | 7th (B1G) | -- | -- |
| 2018-19 | Michigan | Head Coach | 7th (B1G) | individual (Lau) | -- |
| 2019-20 | Michigan | Head Coach | canceled (C-19) | canceled (C-19) | canceled (C-19) |
| 2020-21 | Michigan | Head Coach | t-2nd (B1G) | t-5th | 20th |
| 2021-22 | Michigan | Head Coach | 1st (B1G) | t-3rd | 20th |
| 2022-23 | Michigan | Head Coach | t-6th (B1G) | 9th | -- |
| 2023-24 | Michigan | Head Coach | t-4th | 9th | -- |
| 2024-25 | Michigan | Head Coach | 8th | individual (Janess) | -- |
| 2025-26 | Michigan | Head Coach | t-14th | individual (L. Sung) | -- |
| 2026-27 | Michigan | Head Coach | -- | -- | -- |
NCAA Championships
NCAA Appearances: 16
NCAA Finals (7): 2009, '11, '12, '16, '17, '21, '22
Team Regional (13): 2007, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '16, '17, '21, '22, '23, '24
Individual Regional (3): 2019 (Ashley Lau), 2025 (Mara Janess), 2026 (Lauren Sing)
Conference Championships
Mid-American (2): 2007, '08
Big Ten (1): 2022 -- first in program history
Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American
Elodie Van Dievoet: 2017 (2nd) -- first in program history
Ashley Lau: 2021 (HM), 2022 (1st) -- first, first team selection in program history
Monet Chun: 2024 (HM)
Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar
Grace Choi: 2015, '16, '17
Monet Chun: 2021
Anika Dy: 2020, '22, '23
Hannah Ghelfi: 2020
Mara Janess: 2024, '25
Megan Kim: 2015, '16, '17, '18
Kathy Lim: 2017, '18
Mikaela Schulz: 2020, '21, '22, '23
Alisa Snyder: 2017
Sydney Sung: 2024
Sidney Yermish: 2024
All-Big Ten
Hailey Borja: 2020 (2nd), 2021 (2nd), 2022 (1st), 2023 (2nd), 2024 (2nd)
Grace Choi: 2016 (1st)
Monet Chun: 2021 (1st), 2022 (2nd), 2023 (2nd), 2024 (1st)
Ashley Kim: 2020 (1st)
Ashley Lau: 2021 (1st), 2022 (1st)
Catherine Peters: 2016 (2nd)
Mikaela Schulz: 2022 (2nd)
Elodie Van Dievoet: 2017 (1st)
Big Ten Coach of the Year
Jan Dowling: 2022
Big Ten Golfer of the Year
Ashley Lau: 2022 -- first in program history
Monet Chun: 2024
Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Monet Chun: 2021
Big Ten Championship Medalist
Elodie Van Dievoet: 2017 (210, -6) -- first in program history
Monet Chun: 2022 (205, -8)
Monet Chun: 2024 (209, -7)
Big Ten's Mary Fossum Award (lowest average)
Ashley Lau: 2022 (71.84)
Monet Chun: 2024 (71.97)
Big Ten Distinguish Scholar
Grace Choi: 2015, '16, '17
Monet Chun: 2024
Hannah Ghelfi: 2020
Mara Janess: 2024, '25
Megan Kim: 2017, '18
Ashley Lau: 2022
Kathy Lim: 2018
Mikaela Schulz: 2021, '22, '23, '24
Sophia Trombetta: 2021
Academic All-Big Ten
Thomasine Bartholdson: 2026
Hailey Borja: 2021, '22, '23, '24
Grace Choi: 2015, '16, '17
Monet Chun: 2022, '23, '24
Anika Dy: 2021, '22, '23
Hannah Ghelfi: 2018, '19, '20
Lauren Grogan: 2014, '15
Mimi Guo: 2026
Mara Janess: 2024, '25, '26
Ashley Kim: 2019, '20, '21
Megan Kim: 2016, '17, '18
Ashley Lau: 2020, '21, '22
Yugene Lee: 2014
Kathy Lim: 2016, '17, '18
Emilie Paltrinieri: 2024
Catherine Peters: 2014, '15, '16
Chelsea Pezzola: 2014
Mikael Schulz: 2021, '22, '23, '24
Alyssa Shimel: 2014
Jenna Shilts: 2025
Alisa Snyder: 2018, '19, '20
Lauren Sung: 2024, '25, '26
Sydney Sung: 2024, '25, '26
Sophia Trombetta: 2020, '21, '22
Elodie Van Dievoet: 2019
Grace Wang: 2025, '26
Alicia Weber: 2014
Emily White: 2018
Jacqueline Young: 2020, '21, '22
