The 2021-22 season will mark Kevin Bishop's 15th as head men's golf coach at SMU.
He is a three-time GNAC Coach of the Year having earned this honor in 2012, 2014 and 2021. Over the years he has served on various committees in the NCAA DII Western Region including the RAC ranking committee, the Golf Coaches Association All-Region selection committee and the Golf Coaches Connection representative for the GNAC.
This past season, Bishop led his team to their first ever GNAC Championship win having had 6 runner-up finishes in the past. Bishop has taken the Saints to the NCAA Super Regional 7 times competing as either a team or individuals. In addition, SMU hosted this prestigious tournament in both 2013 and 2021. This past season the Saints finished 2nd in the West/South Central NCAA Regional, thus qualifying for the NCAA National Championship in West Palm Beach, Fl. where they finished 15th.
Under Bishop's watch the Saints have had 39 GNAC All-Conference players, 10 individual tournament champions, two Ping All-region players, one United States Amateur qualifier, and captured 23 player of the week awards for the GNAC along with player of the year, freshman of the year and newcomer of the year award winners.
In the classroom, the Saints have been successful in capturing eight team GNAC academic honors in the past 14 years along with having 29 players being named to the GNAC All-Academic team and two players named to the All-Academic District team.
A PGA Professional since 1978, Bishop is a Life Member of the PGA and has been a member of the Professional Hudson Cup team four times and was honorary Captain in 2018. He has also captured three Washington State Sr. match play Championships and won the Washington State Senior Open in 2005.
Having dedicated much of his professional career to junior golf, Bishop was the recipient of the PNWPGA Junior Golf Leader Award in 2000 having been instrumental in the development of one of the initial First Tee junior programs in the U.S.
Prior to coming to Saint Martin's Bishop was the PGA Head Professional at Grays Harbor and Indian Summer Country Club's and also owned and operated two local golf practice facilities, Mt. Greens and The First Tee of Olympia in the Thurston County area.
Bishop graduated from Seattle University with a business degree in 1975. His junior and senior year the Chieftains captured the West Coast Athletic Conference championships while Bishop won the individual title his junior year.
A long time Olympia resident Bishop graduated from North Thurston High School in 1971. He was a three-time all-state selection in golf and is a member of the North Thurston Athletic Hall of Fame.
Bishop and his wife Carrie have two grown children, Jeff and Jason along with 3 grandchildren, Logan, Bennett and Brayden.
