Five inducted into Oklahoma High School Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame

Above: Left to right, the daughters of John Kitchens Kelly and Darcy, inductee Rick Leath, daughters of Jack Hopkins Donna and Suzanne, inductee Mike Gowens and inductee Vicki Jo Hughes.

The second Hall of Fame class of the Oklahoma High School Golf Coaches Association was inducted in a ceremony Jan. 17 at Elks Golf & Country Club in Shawnee during the association’s winter clinic.

Inducted were former Jenks and Union coach Vicki Jo Hughes, former MacArthur High in Lawton coach John Kitchens, former Edmond Memorial coach Rick Leath, former Muskogee coach Jack Hopkins and current Purcell coach Mike Gowens.

Kitchens (1947-2023) and Hopkins (1917-1996) were honored posthumously.

“While each of the individuals displayed great coaching abilities and the have shown that they can lead a team to victory, more importantly, they made lasting impacts on youth golf in their communities, as well as across the state through high school golf.,” said Durant coach Tanner Dupree who has led the effort to create the hall and honor the coaches.

“As the Chairman of the Oklahoma Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame Selection Committee, it is my honor to share a night with them and celebrate their accomplishments,” Dupree said. “Our schools are filled with wonderful coaches who dedicate themselves to the betterment of our students.  These five Hall of Famers represent some of the best of us.”

Hughes won six state championships during a career that included stints at Muskogee (1996-2008), Jenks (2008-2011), Union (20110-13) and then back to Jenks 2014 to 2023. She won state titles at Jenks in 2009 and 2010, Union in 2012 and 2013 and Jenks in 2022 and 2023. She also led her teams to two state runnerup finishes and 16 regional titles.

Kitchens, who coaches MacArthur for 40 years, led the team to the 2001 Class 5A state championship. He was a founding member of the Oklahoma High School Golf Coaches Association.

Leath coached Edmond Memorial to five consecutive state championships from 1989-93 in his 21 years at the helm from 1986-2006, the first three of those as the girls coach and the final 18 as the boys coach. He produced three individual titles (Chris Edgmon in 1989 and 1991 and Teddy Smith in 1993. Memorial won 75 tournaments in his tenure and he named the national high school coach of the year in 1994.

Hopkins led the Muskogee golf team from 1963-79, where he was also a prominent football and basketball coach. His teams won six regional, eight conference and five state championships while also winning an incredible 33 consecutive tournaments at one point. Hopkins was a survivor of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Gowans began coaching the golf programs in Purcell in 2004.  After 20 years leading the program, he is still coaching, having led his team to 17 conference, 11 regional, and seven state championships. The Purcell golf teams have won 75 tournaments and Gowens has been named Conference, Region, State, and national coach of the year on numerous occasions. Gowens has hosted numerous playoff events and served on the OSSAA Golf Advisory Board.  He designed nine holes of the Brent BruehlMemorial Golf Course where he has served as head professional since 1992.

– Ken MacLeod