SIOUX FALLS – Wade Merry of Sioux Falls, who has a long association with golf in the region, has been named to lead the Men's and Women's Golf Programs at the University of Sioux Falls, according to an announcement today by USF Director of Athletics Pam Gohl.
 
Merry takes over as head coach for both of the programs from Tavia Rutherford, who has resigned as Assistant Athletic Director of Ticketing and Operations/Head Men's and Women's Golf Coach for another professional opportunity.
 
"We welcome Wade Merry back to USF and know that he will do a great job with our golf programs. Wade certainly has a passion for golf and it will be brought out in his leadership of our programs," said Gohl.
 
Merry, who serves as Director of Development for the South Dakota Golf Association Junior Golf Foundation and First Tee South Dakota, will begin his duties on August 1.
 
"I am extremely grateful for the confidence Pam has in me to take over the USF golf program," Merry said. "Tavia has done wonderful things with the program and I am excited to get started."
 
Merry has had a long connection with golf in South Dakota and across the region. At the age of five, Merry was introduced to the game by his father, Howard. Later, he played golf and tennis at Dakota State where he earned a B.S. in Business Administration degree.
 
As a senior at Dakota State, he helped lead his team to second place in South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC). Following his collegiate days, he worked with golf pro Dave Noble and assisted teaching lessons and building clubs. In addition, Merry, who was inducted into the South Dakota Golf Hall of Fame in January 2019, played in various state amateur championships, including reaching the round of 16 at state match play in 1985.
 
As a coach, Merry will always push a positive message to the USF teams.
 
"Golf is a game you can't perfect it but you can try," said Merry, a native of Dell Rapids, S.D., who served as the executive director of the South Dakota Golf Association from January 2005 to August 2018. "We know there will be trying days but we will always focus on the good days and staying focused, while accentuating the positive. It is always important to have fun and remember that golf is just a game," added Merry, who is also a member of the Dakota State Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 1977 tennis team, which won the conference championship.
 
During his career, Merry has served as a Development Officer at Dakota State University, sports information director at USF, and sports editor at the Argus Leader.  
 
Rutherford had impact at USF
 
Gohl also said USF is appreciative of the work and commitment of Rutherford, who has had an impact at USF.

"I also want to say thank you to Tavia Rutherford for her unyielding dedication to USF – first as one of the most decorated and accomplished student-athletes we've had and then for her coaching and mentorship in the golf programs. We wish her well as she moves on with her career," she said.

 

As the head coach for USF men's and women's golf, Rutherford helped lead the programs to significant success at the NCAA DII level. In 2021, she directed the USF Men's Team to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA DII Central Regional (15^th overall), No. 7 ranking in the region and a third place finish (2^nd best all overall at DII level) at the NSIC Championships. In addition, the USF women's team was ranked 11^th in the region, finished a program-best second place at the NSIC Championships and Lexi Hanson was named NSIC Golfer of the Year while advancing to the NCAA DII regionals for the third time as an individual.  
 
"Thank you to the University of Sioux Falls for providing me with a quality student-athlete experience, a wealth of knowledge to pursue graduate work, and to lead both Cougar golf programs and impact student-athletes on a daily basis," said Rutherford. "I will forever bleed purple. I want to extend a big thank you to Athletic Director, Pam Gohl, for providing support and priceless mentorship. Finally, thank you to all my current and former players that I have had the privilege to coach. You bought into everything that I wanted for this Cougar golf program and you all worked so hard to achieve some pretty great things. We broke almost every record, and we created a championship culture, leaving a legacy that will never be forgotten," she said.
 
As a USF student-athlete Rutherford qualified for the NCAA DII Regionals a program-first three times from 2011-15 before advancing to the NCAA DII National Tournament as a senior. A native of Bakersfield, Calif., Rutherford graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science in 2015 from USF. A three-time All-NSIC performer, Rutherford became USF's first-ever NSIC Golfer of the Year as a senior. Rutherford was also named the NCAA Elite 89 Award winner in 2014-15.