Ben Rickett

Position

Interim Athletic Directror/Director of Golf
Alma Mater

Tennessee-Chattanooga
Phone

706-712-8256
Graduation Year

2009
Email

brickett@daltonstate.edu

Ben Rickett was hired as the 1st Director of Golf for Dalton State December 14, 2012. He added the role of Assistant Athletic Director of Development in 2022. He serves as the head coach for the men's team. A native of Surrey, England, is a former top 100 player in the world as an amateur.

Ben caddied the championship match for 2012 U.S. Amateur Champion Steven Fox and helped Fox overcome a late deficit to win the title at famed Cherry Hills in Colorado. This victory carried with it a prestigious invite to compete in the 2013 Masters where Rickett was also on the bag for Fox.

PATH TO DALTON STATE
Rickett qualified for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 English Amateurs advancing to the final 16 in 2006 losing 2 & 1 to Rhys Piper in the quarters. He also qualified for the 2008 British Amateur.

Rickett was a four-year letter-winner for the Mocs playing 118 rounds in his four seasons with a 73.66 stroke average. As a senior, Rickett posted a team-best four top ten finishes and eight top 20 finishes. He earned PING All-East Region honors along with beign named an All-Southern Conference performer. His best finish was a tie for second at the Aldila Scenic City Invitational, shooting a 205 (-11). Ben carded 16 rounds in the 60s for his career and 39 rounds of par or better. His Mocs teams were a fixture in the NCAA Division I top 25 throughout his playing career, achieving a #1 ranking in 2008.

He served the 08-09 season as a student-assistant at Chattanooga while finishing his degree in Psychology. In May 2010, he was named a full-time assistant with the Mocs men's golf program where he assisted in all aspects of the program including recruiting, scheduling, practice and on-course coaching.

TIME WITH THE ROADRUNNERS
Rickett came to Dalton State from his alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he helped build the Mocs program into a national power as both a coach and student-athlete. He acquired a tall task as the Roadrunners prepared to play collegiate golf in nine months time come September of 2013 instead of the original timeline of 2014. He put together a squad that immediately competed for tournament titles during their transition season to the NAIA.

The 14-15 season was a memorable one as the Birds upset #1-ranked and eventual National Champion Coastal Georgia in the SSAC Championship to make their first NAIA National Champioship in just their first season of eligibility. Sean Elliott made more waves for the Roadrunners as he won Individual Medalist honors and the Jack Nicklaus Award as the seasons best NAIA golfer.

Five more SSAC titles, four more Nicklaus Award winners, and a national runner-up finish followed before Dalton State hit the pinnacle with an NAIA National Championship in 2021 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. With DS tied with Texas Wesleyan on the 18th green of the 72nd hole, Ben Rebne sank a 20-foot birdie putt to give the Roadrunners their first title in men's golf.

The Birds finished as national runner-up again in 2022, but came away with another national championship on home turf in 2024 at Dalton Golf and Country Club as they once again dueled with Texas Wesleyan.

Ben and his wife Shelley, formally Taylor, reside in Dalton and have 3 boys; Calvin, Adrian, and Brooks.

Achievements

2 NAIA National Championship (2024, 2021)
2 NAIA Tournament Runner-Up (2022, 2018)
2x GCAA Dave Williams NAIA Coach of the Year (2024, 2021)
4x PING GCAA South Region Coach of the Year (2024, 2021, 2018, 2017)
6x SSAC Coach of the Year (2024, 2023, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017)
4 Jack Nicklaus Award Winners (Ben Rebne - 2020; S.M. Lee - 2018, 2017; Sean Elliott - 2015)
1 NAIA National Player of the Year (S.M. Lee - 2018)
2 individual National Champions (S.M. Lee - 2018; Sean Elliott - 2015)
2 Phil Mickelson Award Winner (Jack Whaley - 2024; S.M. Lee - 2017)
26 NAIA All-Americans
40 All-Conference selections
17 SSAC All-Academic team members
9 Individual SSAC Champions (Brock Hoover - 2024, 2023; Steve Kibare - 2022; Ben Rebne - 2021, 2019; S.M. Lee - 2018, 2017; Chase Jones - 2016; Sean Elliott - 2015)
8 SSAC Championships (2024, 2023, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015)
8 SSAC Players of the Year (Jack Whaley - 2024; Steve Kibare - 2023; Matthew Cleary - 2022; Ben Rebne - 2021, 2020, 2019; S.M. Lee - 2018, 2017)
3 SSAC Newcomer of the Year (Gavin Noble - 2023; Cole Wentworth - 2022; P.J. Shields - 2017)
4 SSAC Freshman of the Year (Jack Whaley - 2024; Trevor Bassett - 2021; Zach Womack - 2019; S.M. Lee - 2017)

Coaching Experience

Years	School	Position
2012-Present	Dalton State	Head Coach
2010-2012	Chattanooga	Assistant Coach