Mike Wheeler begins his 14th season as the Head Coach of the Missouri Southern golf teams in 2023-24, taking over the programs prior to the 2010-11 season.
The 2022-23 season saw major success, as the men's team won both the MIAA regular season and tournament championship for the first time in program history. Due to that success, the MIAA tabbed Wheeler with Coach of the Year honors. Tradgon McCrae and Ben Marckmann earned All-MIAA honors, and McCrae was named the MIAA Golfer of the Year, later named an All-American as well. Additionally, for the first time under Wheeler, the men's team qualified for regionals. Two athletes earned the MIAA Academic Excellence Award, two were MIAA Scholar Athletes, and 11 mae the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, five from the women's team and six from the men's team.
The 2021-22 season was full go for the first time in two seasons and the Lions didn't disappoint. The men finished in top-five in five tournaments cumulating with a third place finish at the MIAA Championships, Connor Williamson being named All-MIAA and seven were named onto the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. The women had seven tournaments where they finished in the top-ten and had five named onto the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
The 2020-21 season was once again hampered by the Covid-19 Pandemic as the fall season was cancelled for the Green and Gold. The Lions, however, got to participate in a full spring season that saw the men place second at the RSU Hillcat Classic, while placing seventh in the MIAA Championships. The women had three top-ten team finishes and placed eighth at the MIAA Championships. Logan Greer was named an All-MIAA selection on the men's side, while the men had four named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and the women had five.
The 2019-20 season was cut short due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and both the men and women saw just one spring match, as well as the entire fall portion of the schedule before the season was cancelled in mid-March. The women posted a fifth-place finish at Augustana before placing second at the Tabor College invitational, third at the Park Fall Classic and then second at the lone Spring Tournament at Harding. The men placed third at the final fall match, the HSU Battle for the Belt. This tournament was match play and saw the Lions get two victories over the course of the two days.
The 2018-19 season saw the Lions post a sixth-place finish at the MIAA Tournament which the team hosted at Shangri-La Country Club in Monkey Island, Okla. Jeremy Dunham finished the season as an All-MIAA selection. The year also marked the beginning of women's golf at Missouri Southern as Wheeler helped usher in that era in Green and Gold. The women posted a third-place finish at Park University, before posting a fifth-place finish at Harding.
The 2017-18 season was a bit of a rebuilding year for the Lions with only returners Tristan Haltom, junior, and Connor Neil, senior, seeing consistent action. They were supported through the year by juniors Tripper Jensen and Adam Vining, and freshman Taylor Haltom, Logan Greer, and transfer freshman Grant Sikes. All return for the fall of 2018.
Tristan Haltom was the lone All Conference Player for the Lions with a scoring average of 75.9
New to the staff will be graduate assistant coach Adam Vining. Vining is a former men's golfer for the Lions and is working on his masters in accounting from Southern.
Volunteer assistant coaches Gary “Butch” Vernon remain an important part of the programs, helping with practice for both the men and the women. Joining them this year will be Derek Skaggs. Derek recently retired from Head of Admissions at MSSU.
Wheeler is a past President of the Board of Directors at Twin Hills Golf & Country Club and served as a Director in the Joplin Golf Foundation for the 10 years. During his time with the Joplin Golf Foundation Wheeler served as chairperson of the Joplin Junior Golf’s “Tee It Up” program which offers golf instruction to junior golfers annually. Prior to coming to Southern he was an assistant coach with the Joplin High School Lady Eagles golf team.
Wheeler has also spent time in recent years administering the rules of golf. He was a Director with the Missouri Golf Association for the six years, working as a starter and rules official for the Missouri Junior Amateur and Missouri Junior Match Play events. He has five years’ experience as a rules official at the Missouri State High School Boys' Golf Championships and is a five-time attendee of the USGA Rules of Golf workshop.
