Angela Rayhill recently concluded her first season as head coach of the UIC golf program in 2023-24.
Under Rayhill's leadership, UIC recorded one of its best seasons in program history in 2023-24 while breaking multiple team and individual records. The Flames finished in the top-three in the team standings in eight of their ten tournaments during the 2023-24 season and won a share of its first team championship at a full-field tournament in program history, tying for first at the Nevel Meade Intercollegiate (March 18-19). Rayhill coached UIC golfers to 17 top-ten finishes in 2023-24, while Dasa Urbankova won a program-record three individual titles. UIC finished in second-place in the team standings at the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Championship, its highest finish at a conference tournament in program history and finished the season ranked No. 165 nationally, its highest finish in program history. During the 2023-24 season, Flames golfers broke individual records for lowest round, lowest round versus par, lowest 54-hole total, season scoring average, career wins, rounds played, and set team records for lowest round, scoring average and national ranking. As well, the MVC named Urbankova to its All-Conference and All-Tournament teams, while Urbankova and Megan Tang were named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team and Honorable Mention team respectively.
The Flames name Rayhill as head coach in July 2023. A coach with extensive experience at the collegiate level in Chicago, Rayhill came to UIC from Chicago State, where she led the Cougars' women's golf program since 2015.
During her more than eight seasons at the helm at Chicago State, Rayhill led the Cougars to multiple top-five finishes at the PGA Works Collegiate Championships (formerly the PGA Minority Championship), including a second-place finish in 2016 and a third-place finish in in 2017. In 2023, the CSU women's golf team earned a wire-to-wire victory at the 28th Annual National Women's Collegiate Golf Championship, bringing home a trophy named in honor of Renee Powell, who was the second-ever African American woman to play on the LPGA Tour. Rayhill also coached Montserrat Ramirez to individual medalist honors at the Starks Invite in March.
Prior to her arrival at CSU in February 2015, she was an assistant women's golf coach at Chicago's North Park University during the 2012-13 school year and was a former assistant golf professional at the Midlothian Country Club in Midlothian, Ill.
An accomplished collegiate and professional player, Rayhill was a member of the Rend Lake College women's golf team that advanced to the NJCAA National Championship in 2007 and 2008. She won the individual medalist honors at the 2008 NJCAA Region XXIV Championship and finished 22nd nationally. Rayhill completed her collegiate career at the University of Southern Indiana where she won the Great Lakes Valley Conference individual title. As a professional golfer, Rayhill played in LPGA T&CP events including the Midwest Section Pro-Pro in St. Louis, Mo.
Rayhill is the third head coach in the history of the UIC women's golf program, which was established in 2011. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband Ryan and daughters, Brooklyn and Bryleigh.
