Alabama Women’s Golf Head Coach and Hall of Famer Mic Potter set to Retire Following 2025-26 season
4/13/2026 3:24:00 PM | Women's Golf
Potter, a two-time National Coach of the Year who guided the Crimson Tide to its first national championship in women’s golf, has spent the last 21 seasons at Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Mic Potter, who has led the Alabama women's golf team the last 21 seasons and is in his 43rdyear overall as an NCAA Division I head coach, will retire following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Hall of Famer announced Monday.
"When I arrived in Tuscaloosa, the goal was simple—build something special," said Potter. "Together, we were able to grow this program into one that competes at the highest level and represents Alabama with pride. I'm thankful for the players, coaches and staff who bought into that vision and made it a reality. It's been an honor to be part of this journey and to watch so many young women achieve greatness on and off the course."
Potter's 43-year career as a head coach at the Division I level includes 22 seasons (1983-2005) leading the Furman women's golf program as well as spending the last 21 years at Alabama. Currently, Potter is listed as the second-longest-tenured women's golf head coach in NCAA Division I.
"What an incredible career Coach Potter has had leading our program over the past 21 years," said Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. "He elevated Alabama women's golf to national prominence, from winning championships to producing all-Americans and developing future professional golfers. In addition to the success on the course, his student-athletes have been equally impressive in the classroom, winning multiple national and conference accolades. We appreciate Coach Potter and all he and his wife Kim have done and meant to Alabama and the game of golf overall and wish them the best in this next chapter."
The UA women's golf program began in 1974 and had been to only one NCAA championship prior to Potter coming on board (1987 under Dick Spybey). Alabama then hired the New York native in 2005 who changed the trajectory of the program.
Since his arrival in Tuscaloosa, Potter took the program to new heights and stands as the most successful women's golf head coach in Alabama history. He guided the Crimson Tide to the 2012 NCAA Championship and added a national runner-up finish in 2018. Prior to his arrival, Alabama reached just one NCAA Championship and six NCAA Regionals in the 30 previous seasons. In the 21 years since, the Crimson Tide has reached the Women's Golf Championships 14 times while making 18 Regional appearances.
Potter was twice named the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) National Coach of the Year, earning the accolade in 2012 and 2018, and is a six-time SEC Coach of the Year (2007, 2010-13, 2018) honoree.
Potter has produced 36 WGCA All-Americans and 64 All-SEC selections, including three Players of the Year and five Freshman of the Year honors. Among those, Potter coached former standout and current LPGA player Emma Talley to the 2015 NCAA Individual Champion. She is one of 15 former golfers coached by Potter to have earned an LPGA Tour card.
As a team, Alabama won 39 tournament titles throughout Potter's tenure including three SEC Championships and four NCAA Regional wins. Combine that with the 36 tournament titles he won while with the Paladins, Potter is among the upper echelon of tournament wins as a head coach more than with 70.
Potter, who was listed by Golf Monthly Magazine as one of the top collegiate golf coaches of all time, took the Crimson Tide to 75 percent (18 of the 24 total in school history) of its Regionals, with all 18 coming in consecutive years from 2006-24 (no NCAA Regional or Championships were held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Potter's leadership and guidance off the course have been equally as impressive as the amount of success on the course. He helped more than 70 players earn WGCA All-Scholar Athlete recognition with over 150 receiving SEC All-Academic honors. Seven of the eight Academic All-Americans and all six of the SEC Scholar Athletes of the Year honors in program lore were earned by golfers under Potter's tutelage.
Potter began his coaching career at Furman University where he spent 22 years, beginning in 1983 and lasting until he departed for Tuscaloosa in 2005. While there, he coached Furman to 16 NCAA Championship appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 1987. He also guided the Paladins to 10 Southern Conference championships and was named the SoCon Coach of the Year six times. In 2022, he was inducted into the Furman Athletics Hall of Fame.
A graduate of Cortland State University, Potter majored in physical education while earning four varsity letters: three in soccer and one in golf. He and his wife, Kim, have two sons, Ryan and Corey, two granddaughters, Anna and Caroline and a grandson, Maddox.
