Dec. 18, 2009

From Army Athletic Communications

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Veteran Army golf coach Jimmy Ray Clevenger has announced his retirement following 20 years as the Black Knights' head coach.

On leave to tend to family matters since October, Clevenger plans to return to his native Missouri.

Major Chad Bagley, named interim golf coach on Sept. 17, will continue in that role while a national search is conducted for a new head coach.

"I had a great run," said Clevenger. "Between advancing to the NCAA's to winning Patriot League championships to beating Navy, it has been wonderful. I have to thank each and every golfer who ever teeded it up for me. I was truly blessed to be the golf coach here at West Point and take away so many memories. I need to thank Athletics Director Kevin Anderson and the West Point administration for their support, as well as a great group of Officer Representatives."

Under the guidance of Clevenger, Army has won nine Patriot League Championships and played in eight NCAA Regionals. Twenty-five medalist honors and 29 tournament titles are also a part of his resume. Four times, Clevenger has been honored by his peers, being named the Patriot League Coach of the Year.

"We want to thank Jimmy Ray for all he has done for Army golf," said Anderson. "Between the tournament championships, the NCAA appearances and wins against Navy, he has kept Army among the top teams in the Patriot League."

On an individual level, Clevenger has had 39 players named All-Patriot League, five earn Academic All-America honors, 11 All-District and seven All New-England selections.

Army concluded a stretch of three consecutive trips to the NCAA Regionals in 2005-06 when the Black Knights earned an at-large bid. It marked the first time a Patriot League institution received an at-large invitation to the regionals.

In 1990-91, Clevenger's first season, Army captured the Black Knight Invitational, the Patriot League Championship and the District II Championship. The triumph at districts qualified the Black Knights for their third straight NCAA East Regional bid.

Clevenger was named Patriot League "Coach of the Year" in 1993 following Army's fifth consecutive NCAA regional appearance along with an impressive win at the Princeton Invitational.

Maintaining Army's success, Clevenger's 2001-02 team won both the West Point/Habecker Invitational and the Patriot League Championship by an impressive 29 strokes. Army's top five golfers all finished in the Top 10 of the individual standings at the league championships and were named to the All-Patriot League Team.

For his work, Clevenger was named Patriot League "Coach of the Year" for the second time. With the league win, Army received the Patriot League's automatic bid to the NCAAs, where the Black Knights finished 26th at the Central Regional in Little Rock, Ark.

Clevenger guided the Black Knights to their third Patriot League title in four years in 2005.

In 2004-05, Clevenger led Army to its highest ranking ever, earning the No. 2 spot in District I. In addition, Clevenger's squad broke several Academy regional records at the 2005 NCAA East Regional in Nashville, Tenn. Clevenger was rewarded for his efforts by the Golf Coaches Association of America when he was tabbed the New England Region "Coach of the Year."

The 2006-07 team finished second at the Patriot League Championships with Matt Hanlon, Beverly and Sam Walenz leading the way. All three golfers earned second-team All-Patriot League honors, the second consecutive year three players from Army were represented.

In 2007-08, Army finished in the Top 10 in seven of 10 competitions and Krembel earned All-Patriot League honors, the ninth straight season the Black Knights were represented on the all-conference teams.

A year ago, Clevenger guided the squad to wins at the Mount St. Mary's Invitational and a tie for first at the Davidson Invitational while earning his fourth Coach of the Year accolade. Krembel earned a pair of wins and his second league honor while Park was named all-league for the first time.

Clevenger enjoyed his share of success as a player as well. He was a four-time all-conference selection, district champion and an all-state performer in high school. In 1978, he won the Missouri High School State Championship after carding successive 68s.

A 1982 graduate of Central Missouri State University, Clevenger participated in four NCAA Division II tournaments. He was named all-conference four times and captured eight career tournament titles with the Mules.

Clevenger's standout collegiate career was topped off with an All-American honor following his senior season.

After graduation, Clevenger spent three years in the U.S. Army following in his father's military footsteps. His father was a veteran of the Vietnam and Korean wars, and retired with 20 years of active service in the U.S. Air Force.

Clevenger has served on the Golf Coaches Association of America's Ethics Committee. He was twice chairman of the All-District II selection committee, a three-time chairman of the All-District I selection committee and for the past five years has been on the NCAA Top 25 Poll committee.

Recently, Clevenger became the first golfer elected to the Central Missouri State University Hall of Fame. The Army mentor was one of eight individuals and two teams that made up the 2005-06 class, the 15th group to earn induction into the hall.

A member of the Class of 1995, Bagley was a three-time letterwinner during his golf career, served as the team captain of a squad that qualified for the NCAAs and has worked with both West Point and Army athletics.

Bagley was commissioned in the Field Artillery branch of the U.S. Army following his graduation and served tours at Fort Drum (1995-98) and Fort Stewart (1999-2002) before returning to West Point. He has attended Air Assault School, Field Artillery Office Basic Course, Armor Captains Career Course and the Combined Army Services Staff School.

In 2003, Bagley earned a master's degree in counseling and leader development from Long Island University before beginning his duties as a tactical officer and regimental executive office in USMA's Brigade Tactical Department.

Bagley has spent four years working as the Deputy Director of Army Football Operations, save for a six-month deployment to Iraq in 2008.

A four-year member of the Army golf team, Bagley earned All-Patriot League honors in 1994 and helped lead the 1995 squad to the NCAA East Regionals at Yale Golf Course in New Haven, Conn.