June 11, 2003

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Former Duke standout and assistant coach Jason Widener has been named to direct UNC Wilmington's successful men's golf program.

Widener, 32, served as the top men's and women's golf assistant at Duke for three seasons and fills the position vacated by Grant Robbins, who accepted the head position at his alma mater, Memphis, in late April.

"I'm very excited about the opportunity at UNC Wilmington," said Widener. "There's tremendous support from the athletic department and the community. A solid program is already in place and I look forward to the future."

"We're delighted to have Jason lead our men's program," said Peg Bradley-Doppes, UNCW's athletic director. "Jason is recognized by his peers as one of the bright, young golf coaches in the country, and was the overwhelming choice of the selection committee. Our program has moved to the national forefront, and we believe Jason is the right person to take it to the next level. We're very excited and pleased to have him join our staff and athletic family." Widener becomes the ninth head coach in the history of the program. The Seahawks won five tournaments this past season and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA East Regional in Auburn, Ala.

A native of Greensboro, N.C., Widener was an outstanding junior golfer before enjoying a stellar career at Duke. He collected North Carolina High School Player-of-the-Year honors two times, claimed the Carolinas Junior Amateur championship twice and captured the 1988 United States Golf Association Junior Amateur crown.

As the top-ranked junior in the country, Widener earned both All-America and Scholastic All-America honors from the American Junior Golf Association.

At Duke, Widener excelled as well. He lettered four seasons for Coach Rod Myers, racking up medalist honors as a freshman at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and joined former great Chuck Taylor as the only players in Duke men's golf history to be named All-ACC three times.

During his career at Duke, Widener led the Blue Devils to three NCAA Championship appearances in 1990, 1992 and 1993, and competed as an individual in 1991. Widener then moved on to the professional ranks, where he won the 1994 Bangor Open, and later competed on the PGA European Tour in 1996.