Athletics has decided to go in a different direction in men’s golf, making a leadership change as Tom Shaw is out after 12 years leading the Wildcats.

The university announced the change Monday and said in a statement from Vice President for Athletics Zack Lassiter that Shaw had a huge impact on the ACU program:

“We are incredibly grateful to Coach Shaw for his 12 years of dedication and service to ACU,” Lassiter said. “He has made a lasting impact on our student-athletes and our program, both on and off the course. We appreciate the leadership, integrity and commitment he has shown throughout his time here and wish him the very best moving forward.”

Shaw led the Wildcats through the transition to Division I in 2014 and to a 2022 Western Athletic Conference championship, but in recent seasons the team has shown some inconsistency.

The Wildcats finished third in the final season of WAC play after placing fifth in each of the previous two seasons (2023–24 and 2024–25) and eighth in 2022–23.

The university also said a national search for the program’s next head coach has already started.

This is the latest leadership change at ACU. Most recently, Jo Koons was hired as head softball coach on June 27, 2024, following the dismissal of Abigail Farler on May 7.