DALTON, Ga. — Dalton State announced that Ben Rickett has been elevated from Interim Athletic Director to Athletic Director, capping a steady leadership ascent built on competitive excellence, student-athlete development, and deep ties to the Roadrunner community. Rickett served as Interim Athletic Director beginning April 1, 2025, following his work as Assistant Athletic Director of Development (added in 2022) and his landmark tenure as the college's first Director of Golf upon his hiring on December 14, 2012.
 
Rickett's appointment recognizes a leader whose program-building record spans more than a decade and whose impact has been felt across Dalton State Athletics. A native of Surrey, England and a former top-100 amateur in the world, Rickett has long blended international perspective with local commitment, most notably by continuing to serve as head coach for the men's golf team.
 
A CHAMPIONSHIP ARCHITECT
Under Rickett's guidance, Dalton State men's golf became one of the NAIA's standard-bearers. The Roadrunners captured two NAIA National Championships (2021 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., and 2024 at Dalton Golf & Country Club), sandwiching national runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2022. The 2021 title was sealed when Ben Rebne holed a 20-foot birdie on the 72nd hole to edge Texas Wesleyan, and the Roadrunners repeated the rivalry triumph on home turf in 2024.
 
Rickett's teams also dominated the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), collecting nine SSAC Championships (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025) and producing nine SSAC Players of the Year along the way. His individual standouts include three NAIA individual national champions (Sean Elliott — 2015; S.M. Lee — 2018; Jack Whaley — 2025).
 
Coaching accolades followed. Rickett is a two-time GCAA Dave Williams NAIA Coach of the Year (2021, 2024) and a four-time PING GCAA South Region Coach of the Year (2017, 2018, 2021, 2024), reflecting national respect for sustained excellence.
 
RELENTLESS STUDENT-ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT
Rickett's program has emphasized holistic growth, resulting in 29 NAIA All-Americans, 44 all-conference selections, and 18 SSAC All-Academic honorees. The talent pipeline produced five Jack Nicklaus Award winners (Sean Elliott — 2015; S.M. Lee — 2017, 2018; Ben Rebne — 2020; Jack Whaley — 2025), two NAIA National Players of the Year (S.M. Lee — 2018; Jack Whaley — 2025), and a Gary Player Award (Jack Whaley — 2025), underscoring a culture that balances competitive achievement with character and academics.
 
From newcomers to seasoned leaders, the Roadrunners have thrived: SSAC Newcomer of the Year honors went to P.J. Shields (2017), Cole Wentworth (2022), Gavin Noble (2023), while SSAC Freshman of the Year awards recognized S.M. Lee (2017), Zach Womack (2019), Trevor Bassett (2021), Jack Whaley (2024), Ben McFadden (2025).  
 
A QUICK STUDY AND A PROVEN BUILDER
Rickett arrived at Dalton State from his alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he helped build the Mocs into a national power as both student-athlete and coach. Facing an accelerated timeline, he assembled a Roadrunner squad to compete in September 2013, a full year ahead of the original plan, and the team immediately contended for tournament titles during its NAIA transition season.
 
The breakthrough came in 2014–15 when Dalton State upset then No. 1 Coastal Georgia to win the SSAC Championship and earn its first NAIA National Championship berth in its inaugural season of eligibility. That year, Sean Elliott captured Individual Medalist honors and the Jack Nicklaus Award as the NAIA's top golfer, signaling the program's arrival on the national stage.
 
FROM ELITE COMPETITOR TO ELITE MENTOR
Before coaching, Rickett distinguished himself in elite amateur competition. He qualified for the English Amateur in 2006, 2007, and 2008, advancing to the final 16 in 2006 before bowing out 2 & 1 in the quarterfinals to Rhys Piper, and he also qualified for the 2008 British Amateur.
 
At Chattanooga, Rickett was a four-year letter-winner, playing 118 rounds with a 73.66 stroke average. As a senior, he posted a team-best four top-10s and eight top-20s, earned PING All-East Region and All-Southern Conference honors, and tied for second at the Aldila Scenic City Invitational with a 205 (-11). Across his career, he logged 16 rounds in the 60s and 39 rounds of par or better, competing for Mocs squads that reached a No. 1 national ranking in 2008.
 
Rickett transitioned seamlessly into coaching, serving as a student-assistant in 2008–09 while completing his psychology degree, then became a full-time assistant in May 2010, contributing to recruiting, scheduling, practice planning, and on-course coaching.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENTS BEYONE THE COLLEGE RANKS
Rickett's golf acumen also took him to the pinnacle of amateur golf as a caddie. He was on the bag for 2012 U.S. Amateur Champion Steven Fox, helping Fox rally from a late deficit to win at famed Cherry Hills Country Club, a triumph that earned an invitation to the 2013 Masters, where Rickett again caddied for Fox.
 
A LEADER GROUNDED IN COMMUNITY
Beyond the trophies, Rickett's story is rooted in Dalton. He and his wife, Shelley (née Taylor), reside in the community with their three boys, Calvin, Adrian, and Brooks, a family connection that has strengthened the bonds between Dalton State Athletics and the city it represents.

With the appointment, Dalton State affirms a leadership model built on competitive standards, academic stewardship, and a relentless commitment to student-athlete experience, values Rickett has embodied since the day he arrived.

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