The MSU women’s golf program is the poster child of consistency. The program has been to the NCAA Tournament 16 seasons in a row and has won three of the last four Big Ten championships. This sustained success has been made possible by head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll.
Slobodnik-Stoll is in her 18th season as head coach of the women’s golf team and has had quite the decorated career so far. Slobodnik-Stoll has seen 38 of her players earn All-Big Ten honors, including 23 First Team selections, to go along with 67 Academic All-Conference players. She has coached five All-Americans and produced four LPGA Tour members. Slobodnik-Stoll has also won the Big Ten Coach of the Year award three times.
She has had quite an accomplished playing career as well. She played her collegiate career at MSU under legendary head coach Mary Fossum.
Slobodnik-Stoll captained the team her final two seasons at MSU. She shined in the first decade of the 2000’s, winning the Golf Association of Michigan Mid-Amateur championship five times from 2000-2009. In 2010, She was named the GAM Female Player of the Decade.
So what’s a coach with a resume like that most proud of?
“I’m most proud of that we’re going to be graduating student-athletes who are going to be Spartans for life,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “And that we’ve been able to give a lot of young women incredible opportunities as a student-athlete wearing the green and white. ... I’m also just most proud of all of our players and the dedication and sacrifices that they make as a student and as an athlete to this university and to our team.”
After a good, but admittedly not great junior career, Slobodnik-Stoll was given the opportunity to play at MSU by Fossum.
She eventually earned an athletic scholarship and was named captain of the team before graduating in 1994.
Shortly after leaving MSU, Slobodnik-Stoll’s phone rang, and it was Fossum on the other end.
“She called me to be her assistant, and I think that’s when I really started to realize the relationship that her and I had built,” Slobodnik-Stoll said.
At just 22 years old, Slobodnik-Stoll became the assistant of the MSU women’s golf team, and began coaching alongside her mentor.
“So what was cool was when my dad said to me, ‘Do you know how many different players she could have asked to be her assistant?’ and I kind of went, ‘No.’ because I was a kid, and you don’t think of those things when you’re young,” she said.
Fossum continues to be a mentor and a source of guidance and knowledge for Slobodnik-Stoll to this day.
“I can’t imagine my life without her because, even (though) she’s well in her 80s now, but she’s still one of the only people that I can call and talk to about ‘What should I do about qualifying?’ and ‘What should I do about this player?’ and she’s still right in the mix with me,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “It’s just cool.”
Slobodnik-Stoll is motivated by continuing the standard set by Fossum and by taking the program places that has made Fossum proud.
“I’m just really proud that I’ve been able to give her five Big Ten Championship rings,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “She wears one on every finger, and it’s part of my motivation because she had established something that was so successful here, and I just wanted to keep that going and make it even better than it was.”
Coaching at the university where she went to school is an added bonus for her.
“Well it’s just awesome,” she said. “I just can’t imagine wearing another color, or putting on another mascot or cheering for some other school, it’s really all I know,” she said.
Slobodnik-Stoll leaves quite the impression on her players as well. Her proven track record is something which draws in recruits, such as redshirt freshman Katie Sharp.
"(Slobodnik-Stoll’s) love of the school and just her passion to influence our lives, and also the record that she has of producing players who can go on to the LPGA Tour, and then also you can win championships,” Sharp said. “I just wanted to be a part of that.”
Fifth year senior Lindsey McPherson was drawn to the program by her aspirations to play at the top level. This was something Slobodnik-Stoll was able to accommodate.
“I started playing golf late, so when it was time for me to get recruited no one recruited me,” McPherson said. “I was recruited by a couple Division II schools, but I really wanted to play at the best level — at the highest level. Coach gave me a chance.
“There’s not enough you can say about someone who gives you a chance when you’re not even sure that you believe in yourself. Having coach believe in me, having someone that believes in you, I think that just speaks volumes about her.”
The impact felt by Slobodnik-Stoll’s players extends beyond the 18th green, and into everyday life.
“Well, apart from golf, just the thing that I’ll remember the most about her is just how much she cares about us,” Sharp said. “ Whether she’s talking to us about life decisions or stuff that is going on outside of school and golf in our lives, it’s evident that she truly cares about us.”
When it comes to a coach’s legacy, there are several different aspects to consider. Some people look no further than at a coach’s wins and losses record.
Slobodnik-Stoll needs not to worry about her impressive record, and she doesn’t when considering her legacy at MSU.
“I hope that everyone realizes that I do something I truly have a passion for, and that hopefully I’ve left Michigan State a better place,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “And I have been able to help guide, direct a whole bunch of young women throughout my career, however long it ends up being. I just want to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Her players see the lasting legacy of Slobodnik-Stoll at MSU as one of a decorated coach, who has built a powerhouse program.
“I hope people look at her and see what she’s done for this program beside from the golfing achievements,” Sharp said. ”And I hope that people can see that she’s very hard-working and worthy of being the head coach of this team. And that she’s one of the reasons that we’re so successful.”
