Anne Kelly Retiring After 27 Years
Women’s golf head coach Anne Kelly will retire after the 2023–24 season. The program’s second full-time head coach, she has led the Buffaloes since 1997 and is the longest-tenured female head coach in Colorado Athletics history.
Under Kelly, CU has gone to regionals eight times and NCAAs twice. Golfers’ achievements include five entries to regionals, nine All-Americans and 24 All-America Scholars.
“[I’m] primarily proud of so many of the young women who have played for Colorado and the amazing, successful and caring adults they have become,” Kelly said.
Kelly received the 2023 Kim Evans Award for lifetime contributions to the sport from the Women’s Golf Coaches Association.
CU athletic director Rick George announced that associate head coach Madeleine Sheils will succeed Kelly as head coach starting in 2024–25.
“[Kelly’s] kindness, patience and humor are the foundations of Colorado women’s golf, and I have big shoes to fill as I follow a coach who has positively influenced so many lives,” said Sheils.
Buffs Bits
Colorado football finished 4-8 (1-8 Pac-12) in Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ first season as head coach. Sanders was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year in November 2023. Cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter (Psych’26) won the Paul Hornig Award as the Nation’s Most Versatile Player and was a consensus First- Team All-American and Academic All-American. … Cross-country women and men finished 19th and 25th respectively at the NCAA Championships in Charlottesville, Virginia. … Lexi Hadrych (MSOL’23), Skyy Howard (MA&S’23) and Maya Tabron (Bus Ana, Mktg’24) received All-Pac-12 Volleyball Honorable Mentions. The Buffs finished the 2023 season 16-15 (8-12 Pac-12). … Women’s basketball’s Jaylyn Sherrod (Soc’22; MSOL’24) was named Associated Press National Player of the Week on Jan. 2. She had a career-high 34 points in a 76-65 win over No. 12 Utah on Dec. 30. … On Jan. 10, guard KJ Simpson (Comm’25) was named to the midseason watch list for the Wooden Award All America Team and Most Outstanding Player Award.
Coach Talk
“They do it, they reconnect, we come back together, refocus and just make sure we’re all locked in and on the same page.”
— Women’s basketball head coach JR Payne after the No. 5 Buffs defeated No. 8 Stanford 71-59 on Jan. 14.
