Kenny Trapp is in his 20th year as Head Men's and Women's Golf Coach at Dallas Baptist University. A three-time National Coach of the Year in 2020, 2021, and 2023 by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, Trapp led the led the Lady Patriots to a pair of NCAA Division II National Championships in 2021 and 2023. Trapp has also guided DBU to nine trips to the NCAA National Championships, including a stretch of eight consecutive seasons from 2016-2024. Along with National Coach of the Year honors, Trapp is also an 11-time recipient of the WGCA West Region Coach of the Year award.
In 19 seasons at the helm, Trapp has guided the women’s team to 85 wins over the course of his career, including 63 tournament titles since the start of the 2016 fall season. His women's team has also compiled the nation's top scoring average for each of the past six seasons dating back to the start of the 2017 season and have been ranked in the top five each of the last 10 years. DBU’s Women’s team has also been ranked in the top three nationally each of past eight years, reaching as high as No. 1 in the country every year since 2016.
On the men’s side, Trapp led the men’s team to their first-ever trip to the NCAA National Championships in 2016. He’s also guided nine DBU teams to the NCAA Super Regionals (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2024) and six individuals to NCAA postseason championship competition.
NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES UNDER TRAPP
2023: DBU Women (Semifinalists - Match Play)
2023: DBU Women (National Champions - Match Play)
2022: DBU Women (Quarterfinalists - Match Play)
2021: DBU Women (National Champions - Match Play)
2019: DBU Women (Quarterfinalists - Match Play)
2018: DBU Women (3rd Place)
2017: DBU Women (2nd Place)
2016: DBU Women (5th Place)
2016: DBU Men (10th Place)
2014: DBU Women (10th Place)
During his coaching tenure, Trapp has coached 39 All-Americans, including a nation-high 22 over the past five seasons. Over the course of his 19-year career, Trapp has coached nine women’s golfers who were named the Player of the Year in the conference and 13 players on the men’s and women’s teams who earned Freshman of the Year honors in the league. Under Trapp’s Guidance, three Patriots have also been tabbed the WGCA Freshman of the Year including Ann Parmerter, Olivia Mitchell, and Jordan Karrh. Additionally, Trapp has coached 86 All-Conference selections during his career.
ALL-AMERICANS DURING TRAPP’S TENURE
Evelyn Arguelles (2018, 2019, 2020)
Erin Barrington (2014)
Ella Cheek (2024)
Faith DeLaGarza (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Garrett Fey (2016)
Julia Garcia (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Hanna Harrison (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
Jordan Karrh (2022, 2023, 2024)
Sarah Kim (2017)
Olivia Mitchell (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Ann Parmerter (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Mercedes Rios (2012, 2013)
Jaycie Stewart (2021, 2022)
Syndey Williams (2013, 2015, 2016)
WGCA NATIONAL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jordan Karrh (2022)
Olivia Mitchell (2021)
Ann Parmerter (2016)
Trapp has also coached three players on the women’s side who have been selected to play for Team USA in the Arnold Palmer Cup. Ann Parmerter became the first player from DBU named to the team in 2019, followed by Hannah Harrison in 2021, and Olivia Mitchell in both 2022 and 2023.
YEAR-BY-YEAR
The Patriots are coming off their eighth straight trip to the NCAA National Championships where DBU capped off their season with a run to the semifinals in medal match play. The Women's team won six tournaments during the 2023-2024 season, including the LSC Championships where Julia Garcia won the individual title. Trapp also guided the Men's team to an LSC title after defeating Oklahoma Christian in a tiebreaker in the final round of medal match play.
In 2023, the Patriots celebrated their second NCAA Division II National Championship. DBU won seven tournaments during the 2022-2023 season including their second consecutive West Regional title before capturing their second national title in the last three years. At the NCAA National Championships at the Fox Run Golf Club in Eureka, Missouri, the Patriots finished atop the team leaderboard through three rounds of action. In medal match play, DBU eventually defeated Nova Southeastern, 3-2, in the finals to capture their second national championship.
The 2022 season saw DBU’s Women’s team ranked No. 1 throughout the majority of the season. After capturing their second consecutive Lone Star Conference Championship and the West Regional title, DBU advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championships for the sixth consecutive year. The Patriots claimed the top spot on the team leaderboard through three rounds to advance to medal match play where they eventually fell in the Quarterfinal Round.
In 2021, the DBU Women’s Golf team captured the school’s first-ever NCAA Division II National Championship. During the Patriots’ historic run to a national title, DBU won 10 consecutive tournaments dating back to the conclusion of the 2020 shortened-season. Included in that stretch was a victory at the Kiawah Island Classic that featured 39 teams from the Division I ranks.
Following the regular-season, DBU won the Lone Star Conference Championship, as LSC Freshman of the Year, Olivia Mitchell, claimed individual medalist honors after posting a record-setting score of 11-under par. After placing second at the NCAA West Regional, DBU advanced to their fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA National Championships. Playing as the No. 1 seed at TPC of Michigan in Dearborn, Michigan, the Patriots advanced through the first three rounds to finish in fifth place and advance to medal match play. Following wins over Indianapolis and Grand Valley State, DBU faced Lynn University in the medal match championship. With the match tied at two points apiece, a birdie from Olivia Mitchell on the 18th hole handed DBU the team stroke tiebreaker and crowed the Patriots as the 2021 NCAA Division II national champions.
The 2020 season saw Trapp guide the Women’s team to a nation-best six tournament wins before the Lady Patriots’ pursuit of a national title was cut short due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. DBU finished the year ranked No. 3 in the final WGCA Top 25 and led the nation in scoring average for the third straight year. Trapp was also tabbed the WGCA National Coach of the Year following the 2020 season, as well as the WGCA West Region Coach of the Year.
In 2019, Trapp was named the NCAA West Region Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year after the women's team won the Heartland Conference and West Regional titles before finishing in seventh place at the NCAA National Championships. DBU also won a school record 10 tournaments during the 2018-2019 season.
The 2018 season saw Trapp guided the DBU Women's Golf team to a third place finish at the NCAA National Championships and their first-ever NCAA West Regional title, all while never finishing worse than third. It marked the team's fourth trip to the national stage in the last five years.
In 2017, Trapp led the Lady Patriots to their best finish in school history, as DBU placed second at the NCAA National Championships in Findlay, Ohio. On the men's side, DBU advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the seventh time since 2009.
2016 also proved to be another great year for both programs as the men won the Heartland Conference Championship for the third time in the past four years and advanced to NCAA Super Regionals for the fourth consecutive year. The men capped off the season by advancing to Nationals for the first time in program history, where they finished in 10th place. The women’s program also made NCAA Regionals again for the fourth consecutive year and punched their ticket to the NCAA Nationals for the second time in three years. At the National Championships, the Lady Patriots earned a sixth place showing, playing in the final group all four days as they competed for a national title.
In 2015, DBU’s men’s and women’s teams each won the Heartland Conference title and punched their ticket to the NCAA postseason. The men’s team advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals, while the women advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament. DBU’s Josh Aguilar also became the first player in school history on the men’s side to advance to the National Championships. The year before, the Lady Patriots would become the first team in school history to earn a trip to the NCAA National Championships. Following the 2015 season, Trapp was recognized as the Heartland Conference Coach of the Year and also garnered West Regional Coach of the Year honors by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association.
Since taking over the DBU Golf program, Trapp has led eight men's teams to the NCAA Super Regional Tournament dating back to 2009 and the women's team to eight NCAA Regional appearances. Trapp’s teams have also won a combined nine conference titles during his 16 years at the helm.
WOMEN’S CONFERENCE TITLES UNDER TRAPP
2024: Lone Star Conference
2022: Lone Star Conference
2021: Lone Star Conference
2019: Heartland Conference
2018: Heartland Conference
2017: Heartland Conference
2015: Heartland Conference
2013: Heartland Conference
MEN’S CONFERENCE TITLES UNDER TRAPP
2024: Lone Star Conference
2016: Heartland Conference
2015: Heartland Conference
2013: Heartland Conference
Recognized as one of the top recruiters and evaluators of talent in the country, Trapp has signed 17 top-20 high school recruits from Texas since 2010. He also inked the top player out the state of Oklahoma in 2015, Brinn Fariss, and the top player from Arkansas in 2016, Addison Mitchell, who garnered All-American honors in 2018.
In 2016, Trapp brought in freshman Ann Parmerter, who became the first player in program history to garner First Team All-American honors, while also being named the NCAA National Freshman of the Year. Parmerter capped off her career as the program’s first-ever four-time All-American.
Trapp also recruited the likes of All-American, Mercedes Rios, who advanced to back-to-back trips to the NCAA National Championship, where she finished 14th overall in 2013. Rios was also an eight-time individual medalist and was ranked amongst the top-25 collegiate golfers in the country.
Sydney Williams earned All-American honors in 2013, 2015, and 2016 as well as being named the Heartland Conference’s Freshman of the Year in her first season at DBU. Williams is the first player in program history to earn All-American for three years and was ranked in the top 10 by Golfstat rankings in 2016.
Hanna Harrison arrived in 2016 and became the first player in school history to be named a five-time All-American, while also garnering LSC Player of the Year honors in 2020 and 2021.
On the men’s team, Garrett Fey won three consecutive Heartland Conference titles in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and was a three-time First Team All-Heartland Conference selection. Fey was also named to the Golf Coaches Association of America’s All-Region team in 2015 and 2016 and garnered GCAA All-American Scholar honors in 2015. Fey also became the first NCAA All American in program history in 2016.
Trapp is also a six-time NCCAA National Golf Coach of the Year (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2017) and has led the women’s and men’s golf teams to the NCCAA National Championship resulting in consecutive women's titles in 2011-2012 and 2015-17, as well as 2020. He also guided the men's team to a NCCAA title in 2009 and 2020. Five Lady Patriots have clinched individual women's titles, including Erin Barrington in 2012 and 2014, Christian Curnutte in 2015, Ann Parmerter in 2016 and 2018, and Evelyn Arguelles in 2020. On the men’s side, Tate Fleming won an individual title in 2016, while Kevin Graves earned top medalist honors in 2020.
Trapp has been actively involved in raising the funds to build a 5,000 square foot practice facility on the campus of Dallas Baptist University in 2012, an indoor hitting bay in 2016, and rebuilding the on-campus practice facility in 2018. Most recently in 2022, the DBU Golf program added a golf suite on campus that includes a Trackman simulator in addition to coaches’ offices and a lounge area.
Trapp was born in Texas City, and graduated from Texas City High School in 1996. He later played baseball for San Jacinto Junior College, Alvin Community College, and finally transferred to Dallas Baptist University. As captain of the Patriot Baseball team for two years, Trapp led the nation in saves in 2000 (12) as well as wins (14) in 2001. He led the Patriots to two consecutive NAIA World Series appearances in 2000 and 2001 and was drafted three different times. The final time he was drafted in the 26th round by the Boston Red Sox and played three years of minor league baseball.
Trapp and his wife Reba, a 2003 DBU graduate, have one daughter, Kennedy, who was born on January 27, 2010, and a son, Konnor, born on January 9, 2013. They live in Midlothian, Texas, and attend First Baptist Church Midlothian.
