Alexis O'Brien - Women's Golf Coach - Southern Illinois University Athletics

Alexis O'Brien

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
alexis.mihelich@siu.edu
Phone:
618-453-5469
Alma Mater:
University of New Orleans, 2005

Through six seasons as head coach at SIU, Alexis O'Brien has built upon the tradition of excellence in Saluki women's golf. Under O'Brien, the program has compiled 20 team tournament titles, 15 individual tournament titles, plus seven runner-up team finishes and 11 individual runner-ups. O'Brien's teams have finished in the top five in 75 percent of the tournaments they've played in (56 top-five finishes in 74 tournaments.)

18702

O'Brien was named women's golf head coach at Southern Illinois University on Aug. 5, 2011. In her first year (2011-12), O'Brien led the Salukis to four tournament wins (Ball State, SIUE, Saluki, NIU), the most wins in a single season in school history. An SIU golfer won medalist honors in five of the team's 11 tournaments (SIUE, NIU, Saluki, MAC preview, and Ball State), and four different Salukis won at least one tournament. For the season, Southern finished among the top three teams in nine tournaments, including a third-place finish at the MVC Championship.

In year two (2012-13) under O'Brien, SIU won the SIUE Intercollegiate, and two Salukis won individual titles on the year (Middle Tennessee and SIUE). The team produced three MVC Golfers of the Week, two All-Conference players, a third-place finish at the MVC Championship, and nine-straight top-five finishes. Two Salukis earned spots on the MVC Scholar-Athlete team and three players made the WGCA All-American Scholar team -- the second consecutive year O'Brien landed at least three of her student-athletes on the list.

During year three (2013-14), the Salukis won four team titles (UMKC, Middle Tennessee, Bradley and Saluki) and had one runner-up finish at Murray State. On the Individual side, the team boasted one medalist honor at the Dual at Dalhousie, one MVC player of the week, one MVC All Conference selection, and one MVC All-Scholar athlete. For the third-consecutive year, at least three Salukis earned WGCA All American Scholar honors.

Alexis was featured in the June 2012 Edition of Chicago District Golfer

In her fourth season (2014-15), O'Brien opened the season with back-to-back wins, claiming the Jan Weaver Classic hosted by Murray State and the inaugural Saluki Shootout. In the spring, the Salukis won the Saluki Invitational for the third-consecutive time to remain undefeated at home during her tenure. This victory marked the 12 team title under O'Brien, as the Salukis shot the second-lowest 18-hole round in school history at a 289. One Saluki - Mattie Lindner - was the Individual Medalist at the Saluki Invitational earning MVC Player of the Week and Scholar Athlete of the Week honors. The spring season saw three top-five team finishes and seven top-five individual finishes. The team concluded the season finishing third at the MVC Conference Championships where Brooke Cusumano finished as runner-up. Cusumano also earned All-Conference honors, was named to the MVC All-Scholar-Athlete first team, and was awarded the prestigious MVC Elite 18 Academic Award for superlative achievement in academics and athletics Three golfers took First-Team All-Conference honors, and Alisha Matthews set a MVC Championship record with a single-round score of 67. SIU had six MVC Golfers of the Week. Four players earned National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar honors under O'Brien.

In year five (2015-16) at SIU, O'Brien's team recorded six top-three finishes, including victories at the UIC Fall Invitational and Loyola Invitational. Two players won Medalist and MVC Player of the Week honors, and three individuals earned MVC All-Scholars honors. Southern led the MVC with six players named to the WGCA All-American Scholars team.

Year six was one of the best seasons O'Brien had at SIU. Her team won three tournaments at Illinois-Chicago, Austin Peay State and the Saluki Invitational, Southern's home tournament. The team finished in the top five on nine occasions and went on a run of seven-straight top-five finishes from Sept. 13 to Feb. 28; the second-longest streak of top-five finishes in O'Brien's stint at SIU. On three occasions in 2016-17 a Saluki won a tournament as an individual. Senior Brooke Cusumano won the Saluki Invitational as well as a tournament hosted by Loyola and senior Kristie Yang won Austin Peay State's tournament. On three more occasions, a Saluki finished as the individual runner-up at a tournament. O'Brien coached Cusumano to a school-record stroke average of 75.78 strokes per round and six Missouri Valley Conference Golfer of the Week honors from 2015-2017, Cusumano was named to the MVC's All-Conference Team, Scholar-Athlete Team and won the Valley's Elite 18 Award for outstanding achievement on the golf course and in the class room. She was also named Golfer of the Week four times in the 2016-17 season. The Salukis won six Golfer of the Week awards in 2016-17, tying a program record for most awards by Southern Illinois in a season.

At the half-way point of the 2017-18 season, the O'Brien's Salukis won three tournaments at Evansville, Chicago State and Austin Peay. The three wins before the winter break were the most for the Salukis since the 2000-01 season. Senior Hannah Netisingha also earned the Salukis an Individual victory at the APSU Intercollegiate. Three players earned MVC Golfer of the Week honors for the Salukis in 2017's fall season. Seniors Alice Ho and Hanna Netisingha and freshman Emilyee McGiles all earned the award for their on-course accolades.

Prior to SIU, O'Brien served four years as women's golf head coach at Chicago State (2007-11). At CSU, she turned a last-place program into one that competed for tournament titles. Her 2010-2011 squad won three events (twice at the Chi-Town Showdown and once at the Windy City Triangular) and finished in the top three of four tournaments and top five in 9 events, including a third-place finish at the Great West Conference Championship. Her 2008-2009 squad recorded three team tournament wins (IPFW, Chi-Town Showdown, St Francis), including the program's first team and individual title, one Individual Champion (St. Francis), and one Individual Runner Up (Green Bay).

In 2010, O'Brien was honored with the NIU Huskie Classic Coaches Award, becoming the first coach outside of the Mid-American Conference to win the honor since 2003 after her team's third place finish at the 2010 NIU Huskie Classic. After her final season at Chicago State in 2010-11, O'Brien earned Midwest Section Coach of the Year honors by the LPGA for her outstanding accomplishments in collegiate women's golf.

Other stops before coming to Southern — O'Brien was a volunteer assistant at St. Francis (2005-07) and an assistant at Robert Morris College (2007). She also served as interim head men's golf coach at Chicago State for the 2009-2010 season.

O'Brien has family ties to Southern Illinois. Her uncle, Skip Cosgrove, was an assistant softball coach for 22 years before retiring in 2010. Several relatives, including her brother, Adam, are Saluki alumni. O'Brien earned her master's degree in Sports Studies from SIU in 2015.

O'Brien played Division I golf at the University of New Orleans. She was a team captain her senior year and represented the squad on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. She graduated with honors in 2005 with a degree in education.

O'Brien has played professionally in LPGA T&CP events including the 2007 and 2008 Midwest Section Championship and the 2008 LPGA T&CP National Championship at Pinehurst. She has been an active member of the LPGA since 2005 and a former Teaching Professional at Green Garden Golf Academy (2005-2007).

She completed the United States Army Leadership Training Course in 2003 and is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts of America. She provided the golf swing model for the arcade game "Golden Tee Live" that was featured in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. She was also the personal golf instructor for late comedian Bernie Mac and a consultant on the set of his movie, "Soul Men." O'Brien is married to Tommy O'Brien who was a goaltender for Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey team.