DALLAS – Conference USA announced the 2025-26 men’s golf superlative awards and all-conference selections Friday afternoon. Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and all-conference are selected based on the National Collegiate Golf Rankings from Clippd, while the Phillip Hatchett Coach of the Year is determined by vote from the league’s eleven head coaches.
UTEP’s
Dylan Teeter was named CUSA’s Player of the Year as the 137
th nationally ranked golfer. The fifth year finished tied for second at the conference championship after shooting 9-under par 207. He marked a 69.8 scoring average, recording three top three finishes on the year. With a successful regular season, Teeter has qualified for his second consecutive NCAA regionals and is set to compete in the Marana Regional at the Gallery Golf Club in Marana, Ariz. On May 18-20.
Also from the Miners is Coach of the Year winner
Aaron Puetz. Puetz directed UTEP into the championship round of match play at the 2026 CUSA Tournament for the third straight season. Going into the final day of competition, the first-seeded Miners bested No. 4 seed Middle Tennessee, 4-1, in the semifinals of the 2026 CUSA men’s golf championships. UTEP finished first in stroke play, dominating the course at 31-under par. Throughout the season, the Orange and Blue thrived, finishing in the top 10 in the first 10 tournaments of the season. That was the longest streak to begin a season since at least 1997-98. Puetz mentored CUSA’s lone ranked golfer and Player of the Year winner, No. 137 Teeter. Teeter finished with four CUSA weekly honors and six total in his career, both being program records. He finished tied for second at the championship with a 9-under par 207, firing a 63 in round two for a career best and one stroke off the course record.
Earning the title of Freshman of the Year is Liberty’s
Silas Haarer as the conference’s top-ranked freshman this season. Haarer finished tied for 11
th at the conference championship, turning in a 4-under par 212.
Eight CUSA programs garnered All-Conference recognition. Liberty earned the most honors with four, followed by Kennesaw State’s three recipients. New Mexico State, UTEP and Jax State each picked up two honors, while MTSU, Delaware and Sam Houston have one.
The Gamecocks also named two to the All-Freshman team, along with athletes from Liberty, Sam Houston and Western Kentucky.
2026 Conference USA Men’s Golf Superlative Awards
Player of the Year: Dylan Teeter, UTEP
Freshman of the Year: Silas Haarer, Liberty
Coach of the Year: Aaron Puetz, UTEP
First Team All-Conference
Shaun Cook, Kennesaw State
Michael Lugiano, Liberty
Carter Maneth, MTSU
Javier Delgadillo, NM State
Mateo Payan, NM State
Dylan Teeter, UTEP
Second Team All-Conference
Arsit Areephun, Delaware
Kyle Bachkosky, Kennesaw State
Ike Joy, Liberty
Josh Ryan, Liberty
Alex Malanga, Sam Houston
Third Team All-Conference
Stanley Campbell, Jax State
Ryley Heath, Jax State
Hunter Gillard, Kennesaw State
Silas Haarar, Liberty
Pat Foley, UTEP
All-Freshman Team
Will Drake, Jax State
Tyler Neidel, Jax State
Silas Haarer, Liberty
Grayson Petru, Sam Houston
Will Easterlin, WKU