University of Pennsylvania Athletics

The 2023 Ivy League Coach of the Year, Mark Anderson has been the head coach of Penn women's golf since August 2008. In that time, he has a record of 784-461-14 and has led the Quakers to 15 of their 16 all-time tournament titles (including the program's only two Ivy Championship crowns, in 2010 and 2023). In addition, nine times during his career a Penn woman has won medalist honors at a tournament; prior to his arrival, that had happened just once in program history.

Also the Director of Instruction at St. Davids (Pa.) Golf Club since January 2020, Anderson has consistently been listed among the top golf instructors in the state of Pennsylvania by Golf Digest, most recently 10th in GD's December 2021 edition.
 
Penn's only two Ivy League Championships titles occurred under Anderson. In 2023, the Quakers led wire-to-wire and held off Harvard by four strokes on the final day. All five players earned All-Ivy honors, a first in program history, as freshman Bridget O'Keefe gained first-team recognition by tying for third while the other four players were second-team honorees. The other title happened in April 2010, when the Quakers stunned the field to win by a whopping 22 strokes. Freshman Isabel Han finished second overall in the 35-player field, while sophomore Tiffany Cheung was third and senior Lisette Vitter placed sixth. All three players earned All-Ivy for their finishes.

During Anderson's career, Penn players have collected a total of 18 All-Ivy honors (7 first-team, 11 second-team) and 26 Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar certificates.
 
Prior to the 2010 Ivy Championships team title, Penn had never finished better than third at that event since beginning varsity competition in 2000, and the Quakers had finished fifth each of the last three years.
 
Penn also won the ECAC Championships team title in October 2009, besting a 10-team field at that fall event. As further evidence of Anderson's outstanding leadership, Penn went 40-64-1 in head-to-head competition with its Division I opponents in 2008-09 -- Anderson's first year -- but improved that to a staggering 79-14 prior to the NCAA West Regional in 2009-10.
 
Prior to becoming the Director of Instruction at St. Davids, Anderson was a teaching professional at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Flourtown, Pa. where he was responsible for providing lessons to members. He also conducted junior clinics and junior camps, and provided short-game and full-swing clinics for members. At the Cricket Club, Anderson created a Video Putting Analysis program designed to improve the golfer’s putting stroke, mental approach, confidence and feel, and a Video Short-Game Analysis program covering all areas of the short game.
 
Before his arrival at the Cricket Club, Anderson worked as the Director of Golf and Amenities at Talamore at Oak Terrace in Ambler, Pa. In that position, he was responsible for all areas of the golf operation, and gave more than 200 lessons a year to members and guests.
 
From 1998 to 2006, Anderson served as head golf professional at Heidelberg Country Club in Bernville, Pa., which hosted the 1998 and 1999 Philadelphia Section PGA Championships. Anderson also created the Berks County Invitational in 2002, a 36-hole event that is open to all Berks County golf professionals and the top 50 amateurs from the Berks County point list. Prior to his arrival at Heidelberg, Anderson was head golf professional and golf school coordinator at Golden Oaks Golf Club in Fleetwood, Pa.
 
Anderson began his college playing career at Florida Southern College, playing and practicing with the team for two years. Although he never broke through and made the traveling team, he learned a great deal from the players that won back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships in 1985 and 1986. He then transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he played for three years and helped IUP to a berth in the NCAA Division II Championships as a senior. Anderson graduated from IUP in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
 
A Certified PGA Professional in golf instruction and golf operations, Anderson has held a number of positions with the Philadelphia Section of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) and was that organization’s President in 2009-10. He is also chair of both its Hall of Fame and membership committees. Anderson has also served as Vice President of the Berks County Golf Association and spent several years as captain of the professional team at the Berks County Pro-Am Challenge. In 2007, Anderson won the Bill Strausbaugh Award for his work with the Philadelphia PGA Mentoring program, which helps apprentice professionals and assists them in becoming members of the PGA. In January 2009, he was honored with the Philadelphia Section PGA's Horton Smith Award, which is given in recognition of continuing contributions to professional education. Most recently, he was honored as the PGA Philadelphia Section's 2012 Teacher of the Year.
 
In January 2013, Anderson was awarded TrackMan University Master status. At the time of his awarding, he was one of just 22 professionals worldwide (11 within the United States) to achieve that status.