Ria Scott Named WGCA East Region Coach of the Year

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Virginia head women’s golf coach, Ria Scott, has been named the East Region Coach of the Year by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), as announced by the organization Thursday (June 5).

In her seventh season at the helm, Scott becomes the first Cavalier coach to receive the honor since Kim Lewellen was named East Region Coach of the Year in 2009.

This season, Scott led the Cavaliers to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and their first appearance in match play at the NCAA Championships since the 2016 season. It marked Virginia’s second appearance in match play since the format was introduced in 2015.

Scott coached Virginia to its fourth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships after qualifying as the No. 2 seed through the Charlottesville Regional – the first-ever regional hosted by the University of Virginia. She also guided the Cavaliers to a quarterfinal appearance at the ACC Championships where Amanda Sambach finished as the runner-up in stroke play.

Under Scott’s guidance, the Cavaliers recorded seven top-five finishes in 2024-25 while Amanda Sambach earned her fifth and sixth All-American honors after being tabbed as a second-team selection by WGCA and Golfweek. Megan Propeck was also selected as an All-America honorable mention by WGCA and Golfweek.

Golf Pride WGCA Regional Coaches of the Year
South Region Coach of the Year: Amy Bond, Florida State
East Region Coach of the Year: Ria Scott, Virginia
Central Region Coach of the Year: Emily Fletcher, Northwestern
West Region Coach of the Year: Anne Walker, Stanford

Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride
Emily Fletcher, Northwestern

Golf Pride WGCA National Assistant Coach of the Year
Beth Miller, Northwestern