Karen Bahnsen
Encyclopedia
Karen Mayson Bahnsen is an American
college golf
coach and former player. She is currently the head coach
of the LSU Tigers women's golf team at Louisiana State University
(LSU).
. She attended McGill-Toolen Catholic High School
in Mobile.
to attend LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
, where she played for the Lady Tigers golf team from 1980 to 1983. As a Tiger, she participated in two Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
(AIAW) and one National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) nation championship tournaments.
championship, and have qualified for the NCAA
Championship Tournament eleven times, including 1986, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Bahnsen's 2011 team finished third in the NCAA national championship tournament, and golfer Austin Ernst won the NCAA individual championship. The Lady Tigers placed third of twelve teams in the SEC Tournament, and Ernst placed ninth in the individual standings.
The National Golf Coaches Association
(NGCA) inducted Bahnsen into its Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009.
at LSU. They have a son and a daughter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
coach and former player. She is currently the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the LSU Tigers women's golf team at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
(LSU).
Early years
Bahnsen was born in Mobile, AlabamaMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. She attended McGill-Toolen Catholic High School
McGill-Toolen Catholic High School
McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, located in Mobile, Alabama, is a private co-educational high school operated by the educational system of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile.-History:...
in Mobile.
College career
Bahnsen was the first women's golfer to receive an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, where she played for the Lady Tigers golf team from 1980 to 1983. As a Tiger, she participated in two Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships. It evolved out of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women . The association was one of the biggest...
(AIAW) and one National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) nation championship tournaments.
Coaching career
Bahnsen has been the head coach of the Lady Tigers since 1985. Her teams have recorded twenty-eight team titles and twenty-eight individual titles. Her 1992 Lady Tigers won the 1992 SECSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
championship, and have qualified for the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Championship Tournament eleven times, including 1986, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Bahnsen's 2011 team finished third in the NCAA national championship tournament, and golfer Austin Ernst won the NCAA individual championship. The Lady Tigers placed third of twelve teams in the SEC Tournament, and Ernst placed ninth in the individual standings.
The National Golf Coaches Association
National Golf Coaches Association
The National Golf Coaches Association is an organization formed in 1983 to promote women's intercollegiate golf. The vision of NGCA since its inception has been "to encourage the playing of intercollegiate golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with...
(NGCA) inducted Bahnsen into its Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009.
Personal
She is married to David "Bo" Bahnsen, a senior associate athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at LSU. They have a son and a daughter.