Saltmarsh Inducted Into Walsh University Athletic Wall of Fame
By Florida Tech // August 4, 2013
FLORIDA TECH COACH HONORED
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Florida Tech head men’s and women’s golf coach Chris Saltmarsh will be inducted into the Walsh University Athletic Wall of Fame on Oct. 4 at the Barrette Business and Community Center.
He, along with seven other inductees, will be recognized the following day during halftime of the institution’s Homecoming Game against Ohio Dominican University at Fawcett Stadium.
“It’s an honor to be chosen as one of eight individuals for the Walsh Athletic Wall of Fame,” he said.
“I’d like to thank the selection committee and congratulate the seven other inductees who will also be recognized.”
Saltmarsh was a four-year member of the Cavaliers’ men’s golf program, playing from 2001-04. He is arguably the top golfer in the program’s history, earning American Mideast All-Conference honors all four seasons and earning the conference’s Player of the Year in 2002. He was a two-time NAIA All-American and recorded a career scoring average of 74.3.
During his freshman year, he won four tournaments and averaged 76.3 strokes per round. The next season he finished 50th at the NAIA National Championships and was an AMC/Region IX medalist, recording eight rounds of 75 or lower. As a junior, he was named an NAIA All-American and finished first or second in seven of the eight tournaments he played, recording a season scoring average of 72.6.
NAIA ALL-AMERICAN STATUS
Saltmarsh earned NAIA All-American status for a second time his senior year and was ranked by GolfStat as the No. 1 golfer in the NAIA and 25th best in college golf.
At the Powerade Classic, he shot a record 63, winning the tournament with a three-round average of 66.7. He finished the season with a 75.3 scoring average. He graduated with a bachelor’s in business management.
He will be entering his fourth year as the head men’s and women’s golf coach at FIT this fall. He has already achieved much success during his tenure, leading the men’s and women’s teams to multiple school records and five tournament wins, three by the men and two by the women.
During the 2012-13 season, Saltmarsh guided both the men’s and women’s golf teams to NCAA Division II regional play. The men’s team has qualified each of his three years, but this past season was the first-ever invitation for the women’s program.
DIVISIONAL II NATIONAL RANKING
The men posted a scoring average of 298.73, which was second in school history only to the 295.70 average they posted under Saltmarsh during the 2011-12 season. The women recorded a school record single-round scoring average of 312.09 during 2012-13, shattering the previous record they set the year before by 13.77 strokes.
The team has broken the school record for scoring average during each of Saltmarsh’s three seasons. He also led them to a Division II national ranking of eight at the end of this past season.
Prior to coaching at FIT, Saltmarsh served as the head men’s and women’s golf coach at Northwood University in Florida for four seasons, steering the men’s team to The Sun Conference (TSC) Championship and an NAIA National Championship berth in 2009. He coached the men’s individual conference champion, two all-conference honorees and one third team All-America player that year, which helped him earn TSC Coach of the Year honors. The women’s team ranked as high as fourth in the NAIA during his tenure and earned two straight National Championship invitations. Both teams broke the school’s scoring records while he was coaching.
Saltmarsh previously held the head women’s golf coach position for one season at Tiffin University and served as a graduate assistant coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams at Walsh.
TWO-TIME OHIO AMATURE CHAMPION
He still plays golf on the amateur circuit and is a two-time Eastern Ohio Amateur Champion.
Also being inducted in the Wall of Fame is former men’s and women’s tennis coach Sherry Bossart, former football player Chris Brink, former volleyball player Lauren Collins, former football coach and athletics director James L. Dennison, former baseball player Ben Hackett, former synchronized swimmer Erika (Ludwig) Stewart, and former cross country and track & field coach Dan McCallion.