In his second year at the helm of the UTEP Women’s Golf program, Head Coach Steve Sims led the Miners to top-10 team finishes in nine of 10 tournaments, including three top-five finishes.
He mentored junior golfer Marta Romeu Chen to a CUSA All-Conference Third Team selection as well as a CUSA Golfer of the Week nod (2/8/24).
He also coached grad student Andrea Ostos to a T4th finish and spot on the CUSA All-Tournament team at the 2024 CUSA Women’s Golf Championships.
During the 2023-24 campaign, redshirt-junior Lea Dawson earned a spot on the CUSA All-Academic Second Team.
Nine golfers made the CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll while Dawson also received the CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal.
During his first year at UTEP, Sims coached the Miners in 10 tournaments, with the team finishing in the top-10 in nine of them. Seven of those finishes were top-five team finishes.
In the 2022-24 season Daniela Chipchase played her way to a CUSA Golfer of the Week honor (2/18/23).
Romeu Chen and Sophie Delfosse were selected to the 2022-23 WGCA All-American Scholar Team.
UTEP Director of Athletics Jim Senter announced on June 9, 2022 that Steve Sims has been named the new women’s golf head coach for the Miners.
Sims comes to El Paso after spending nearly a decade as an assistant at UCF where he helped lead the Knights to six team and two individual NCAA Regional appearances, two American Athletic Conference titles and one NCAA Championship appearance.
“We are excited to launch a new era of UTEP women’s golf with Steve Sims as head coach,” Senter said. “He has been a part of a top-35 program at UCF and played a pivotal role in the Knights’ run to four NCAA Regional appearances in the last six years. He is looking forward to leading his own program and building UTEP women’s golf into an annual Conference USA championship contender.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to become the next head women’s golf coach at UTEP,” Sims said. “I want to thank Jim Senter and Charley Thrash, along with the other staff members that made this decision so easy for me. When I first stepped foot on campus, I knew there was truly something special about this university. UTEP is an amazing place and I can’t wait to start recruiting, developing and graduating champions both on and off the golf course. Go Miners!”
After spending 2013-21 as an assistant at UCF, Sims earned a promotion to associate head coach prior to the 2021-22 campaign. He has coached two AAC individual champions, four AAC Player of the Year selections, five AAC Freshman of the Year winners and 19 AAC All-Conference picks during his time in Orlando.
In addition, the Knights have excelled in the classroom, posting a 3.0 or higher GPA each year that Sims has been on staff, including a school-record 3.79 GPA in the spring of 2020. He has coached 20 WGCA Academic All-Americans to date.
Before his time at UCF, Sims caddied for Marcy Hart on the LPGA Tour from 2011-13. He also served as an assistant golf professional at the A.C. Read Golf Course from 2007-11 where he oversaw day-to-day operations, assisted in tournament operations, hosted junior clinics and helped to manage and oversee the 45-hole golf facility and restaurant.
Sims holds a bachelor’s degree in sport and fitness management with a minor in business administration from Troy University. He was a four-year starter for the Trojan men’s golf team, including winning the 2005 Emerald Coast Collegiate in a playoff after finishing regulation with a 210 score.
Following his career at Troy, Sims spent five years as a professional golfer on various tours playing in PGA Dixie Section events and multiple mini tours.
Sims becomes the third head coach in UTEP women’s golf history.
