For over 20 years, Jere Pelletier has been synonymous with UTEP Women's Golf. The 1995 WAC Coach of the Year and 2011 Conference USA Coach of the Year has led the Miners to 15 tournament titles and nine top-five finishes at the conference championship.
Equally as impressive, his team has enjoyed success away from the playing field. Under his leadership the Miners have regularly been recognized for their team grade point average and leadership in the community.
The Miners made history during the 2018-19 season by capturing four tournament titles for the first time. UTEP took first place at three consecutive events during the fall season -- the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate, Aggie Invitational and Pat Bradley Invitational. UTEP added a fourth trophy at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic during the spring. Senior Lily Downs garnered thid team All-Conference USA honors and shared team MVP accolades with sophomore Valeria Mendizabal.
During the 2017-18 campaign, Pelletier guided the Miners to a runner-up showing at the Conference USA Championship. UTEP picked up six top-three finishes in 10 tournaments that season and won the Little Rock/A-State Invitational, with senior June Ting claiming the individual title.
The 2016-17 Miners finished in the top-three at five tournaments, including a title at the Lady Red Wolf Classic. UTEP had a potent trio in Downs, Ting and Alisa Rodriguez, who each finished in the top-20 at a minimum of six tournaments. Downs was individual medalist at the Red Wolf Classic, and Ting tied for the title at the Little Rock Classic.
UTEP won its first conference title and made its first appearance as a team at NCAA Regionals in 2011. The Miners entered the Conference USA Championship rated the seventh-best team in the league by Golfweek, but stunned a field that included two ranked teams in no. 13 Tulane and no. 42 Tulsa.
UTEP recorded a team total of 904 (302-302-300) led by Teresa Nogués, who shot a two-over par 218 (71-75-72) to win medalist honors. Rosana Gomez (tied for fifth place, 224) and Shang-Fan Huang (tied for 12th place, 228) also landed in the top-20 of the individual standings. Nogués and Gomez were named to the All-Tournament team. Nogués became the second UTEP player to capture a conference title, joining Gerina Mendoza, the 2007 C-USA Player of the Year.
The 2009-10 Miners took first place at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic, one of four top-five finishes. Pelletier also had three players make the All-Conference USA team for the first time.
Other Miners who have thrived under Pelletier's tutelage include all-conference honorees Linda Chen, Nicco Chilek, Gomez, Huang, Jullianne Kim, Kristen MacLaren, Annie Mallory, Deborah Martinez, Nogués and Susan Wright. Nine different UTEP players have won tournaments in the Pelletier era, headed by Mendoza who was a four-time champion as a senior. Mendoza set a school record by posting a stellar 72.8 scoring average that year. Now known as Gerina Piller, she has enjoyed tremendous success on the LPGA Tour.
Over 20 UTEP student-athletes have garnered academic all-conference recognition under Pelletier's watch, and numerous others have been awarded Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medals for having cumulative grade point averages of 3.75 or better.
A 1977 graduate of New Mexico, Pelletier turned pro that year. He played in the Rotary Pro-Am, El Paso Country Club (first place), New Mexico Open (fourth place), Pro Sun Country Section PGA (second place), McDonald's Matches Sun Country Section PGA, Hilton Open (fifth place), Tiejeras Arroyo Invitational (first place), Albuquerque City Championship (fifth place), New Mexico State Amateur Championship (fifth place) and Arroyo del Oso (club champion).
Pelletier, who graduated from the Professional Golf Association Business School, Rules Seminar and Teaching Seminar, is a member of the PGA of America, Sun Country Section PGA Golf Digest Panel and Top 100 Golf Courses.
As owner of the Nevel Meade Pro Shop, Jere set up all golf operations for running a public course in rural Kentucky. While manager of Puerto del Sol Municipal Golf Course, he aided in the remodeling of the par-three course into a regulation nine-hole course with a state-of-the-art driving range and teaching facility. He received Merchandiser of the Year awards in 1983 and 1987.
Pelletier was born in Spokane, Wash. He has two children, Katie and Heather.
