Class of 2014

Ronnie Choate

Lifetime Achievement

Biography

Ronnie Choate was born in Austin, Texas on May 26, 1937 but his career flourished in Huntsville. He started the golf program at Sam Houston State in 1961 and became its first golf coach at twenty three years old, having had no prior golf experience. He coached a total of 38 years over two stints and directed the Bearkats to four consecutive NAIA national championships from 1978 to 1981. He was honored as national coach of the year each of those seasons. He won nine conference titles during his 33 years as coach before retiring in 1994. Choate and his son, Dean, achieved a rare father-son sweep of the Southland Conference’s golf awards in 1994 as conference Coach of the Year and Golfer of the Year, respectively. Ronnie and Dean Choate also are the only father/son combination who have been inducted into the Sam Houston State’s Hall of Honor.

He returned as interim head coach in the spring of 2008, after the men’s and women’s team were without a coach. He directed the Bearkats to a runner-up finish in the Southland Conference that spring. His 2008-09 Bearkat squad won five tournaments and one of the Bearkats advanced to the NCAA Division I regional for only the sixth time in Sam Houston history. He ended up staying for additional five years, retiring for the final time in 2013.

In his career, Choate earned league coach of the year honors 13 times in three conferences. He has coached 21 All-Americans, including Robert Thompson, Lee Singletary, Bill McEntire, Jim Phenicie, Jeff Bellnap, Mark Dees and Donnie Massengale. The Bearkats, under Choate's guidance, won 11 conference individual medalist titles and two national individual championships.

Choate has been involved with Sam Houston athletics most of his life. He was a quarterback for the Bearkat football team, playing on teams that produced a 25-13-1 record from 1956 to 1959. He also started at third base for the baseball team. In addition, he served as assistant football coach, worked as a fundraiser, and completed his career as director of athletics from 1992 to 1998.

Legacy Video

Charting a Different Course

Ronnie Choate is as unlikely a member as any in the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. A two-sport star in baseball and football in high school and college, Ronnie had zero experience even playing golf. An assistant football coach at his alma mater, Sam Houston State, he was directed to start the school’s men’s golf team in 1962. With no scholarships and little money, Ronnie was forced to fundraise for the Bearkats, all while learning the game of golf from the same players that he had recruited to join his program. Apparently, he was taught well, as his results over his tenure are nearly unmatched in collegiate golf.

Turning Disappointment Into Results

In 1977, Ronnie wanted the head football coaching job at Sam Houston State. However, despite being a former star Bearkats quarterback and already being on the coaching staff, he wasn’t considered for the job. Feeling snubbed, he used that as fuel and was determined to turn the golf program into a NAIA superpower. He did just that, winning four consecutive national championships from 1978-81, while being named National Coach of the Year each time. In three-plus decades at the helm, he claimed 13 total Conference Coach of the Year honors across three leagues and coached 21 All-Americans, 11 conference medalists and two national individual champions.

A Family Affair

In 1992, Ronnie was asked to serve as Sam Houston State’s Athletic Director. After ensuring that he could keep his title as golf coach as well, he agreed. In 1994, he was the Southland Conference Coach of the Year in his final season at the helm of the golf program. But he wasn’t the lone star in his family. His son, Dean, won SLC Player of the Year honors that year as well. A four-year all-conference performer, Dean Choate joined the professional ranks before becoming a teaching pro. Meanwhile, Ronnie served as Athletic Director until 1998. The two remain the only father-son duo inducted into the school’s Hall of Honor.

Players Were Family, Too

Ronnie’s recruiting philosophy began simply, as it would for anyone who didn’t even own their own set of golf clubs. “Get good players, leave them alone and get them to the golf course on time.” Over the years, he focused on making sure that the men and women he coached felt like a part of the family. He had a hard time leaving the Bearkat family as well, returning as interim golf coach in 2008 and staying for an additional five years, giving him a total of 38 years directing the squad.