Kansas Wesleyan University is saddened to announce the death of men’s and women’s golf head coach Randy Bemiss. Coach Bemiss died on Friday, May 19, 2017. He was 67.

Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced when finalized.

“Randy was much more than just another coach in our program. He cared deeply about the success of every person in our department,” Kansas Wesleyan Director of Athletics Mike Hermann said. “He cared about student-athletes, both those that represented Kansas Wesleyan and golfers from competing institutions, as well.”

Coach Bemiss took over the Kansas Wesleyan Golf program as the head coach in October 2011 after serving the earlier part of the season as the swing coach for the Coyotes.

Bemiss built the Kansas Wesleyan Golf Program into a conference contender since his arrival on campus. He built the women’s program from just one golfer when he took over the program to six during his first season and had eight on the roster by his third season. He coached Kansas Wesleyan’s first-ever KCAC women’s individual champion in Kamie Rash, who won the title in 2014 and 2015 and KWU’s first-ever KCAC Women’s Golf Championship in 2015. Rash also won the NAIA Unaffiliated Grouping Tournament in 2015 to become KWU’s first-ever individual qualifier to the NAIA National Championships. He was twice named the KCAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2017.

The KWU Men’s Golf program also grew under Bemiss’ direction. KWU’s program grew in numbers and performance under Bemiss. The Coyotes have perennially competed with the top teams in the conference, finishing in the top half of the conference.

Bemiss’ teams also excelled academically. He coached a total of 14 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athletes. Alex Howard was selected as a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American in 2012 and Howard Mahan was selected to the same honor in 2016. Chelsie Gausman was selected as a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American in 2013 and Kamie Rash was a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American in 2014 and 2015.

“He clearly stated that he wanted to build both golf programs into nationally relevant programs before passing the reins of the program. He’s done just that. With the students set to join the program in August, along with those returning, I expect both programs to impact the national college golf scene next year,” Hermann said. “He’s certainly accomplished his goal and has left a legacy at Kansas Wesleyan through the outstanding young men and women that represent our institution as college golfers. The university is deeply indebted to him.”

Prior to coaching at Kansas Wesleyan, Coach Bemiss served as a golf instructor at Colby Community College.

Before becoming a collegiate coach, Bemiss was a teaching professional at Cassville Country Club in Cassville, Missouri for three years. He also was a private instructor for several professional golfers at the Esprella Mountain Ranch Golf Club in Goodyear, Arizona. He worked with four-time World Long Drive Champion Brian Pavlet, Nationwide Tour professional Ben Waugh and LPGA Futures Tour professional Lynn Beasley. He also owned and operated the West Valley School of Golf in Glendale, Arizona.]