FRESNO, Calif. – Mary Ritchie has been named head coach of the Fresno State women's golf program, Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy announced Monday. She becomes the fifth head coach in program history.
"We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Mary to Fresno," said Klassy. "She brings a proven track record of building championship-caliber teams and a fierce commitment to student-athlete development—on the course, in the classroom, and within the community. As we transition into the Pac‑12, Mary's energy, vision, and culture-first approach will be pivotal in elevating Bulldog women's golf to new heights. We expect her to lead this program to sustained success, and we couldn't be more confident in her ability to do so."
Ritchie comes to the Valley after spending 11 seasons at UC Riverside. As the women's head coach, she led the Highlanders to their first Big West title in 2016, guided the program to six tournament wins, and coached five individual champions. Under her leadership, the program produced three NCAA Regional qualifiers and 16 All-Big West selections. In 2023, Tiffany Le became the first Highlander to advance to the NCAA Championship, finishing 19th nationally and earning Big West Golfer of the Year.
In 2022, Ritchie was elevated to Director of Golf and named head coach of both the men's and women's programs. She had previously served as interim head coach for the men's team in the fall of 2015, leading the Highlanders to their first Big West title since 2005 and producing two All-Big West selections. Since officially taking over the men's program, she has continued to build momentum — most notably with Hartej Grewal being named Big West Freshman of the Year in 2025 and the program rising 90 spots in the national rankings.
"I'm honored and grateful to Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy for the opportunity to lead the Fresno State Women's Golf Team," said Ritchie. "I felt an immediate connection when I visited campus. Bulldog passion and dedication to student-athlete success was palpable - from the athletics staff to the Fresno community. With the transition to the Pac-12 ahead, the timing couldn't be better to elevate this program, build champions, and pursue postseason success."
Ritchie was named LPGA Western Section Coach of the Year in 2015, 2016, and 2018, and earned LPGA National Coach of the Year following the 2015–16 season.
As a player, she was an all-conference standout at UAB before turning professional in 1999, competing on the Futures (now Epson) Tour, US Challenge Tour, West Coast Ladies Tour, and Canadian Women's Tour.