CAROLINA ON OUR MIND HAP P ENIN G S AT U N C
we l co m e to th e
C a rolina Fam ily We talked to two new UNC coaches who were hired in June about their goals and coming to Chapel Hill By C ait l y n Yae d e
In the case of new women’s head golf coach Aimee Neff, this is more of a “welcome back.” She was the head coach at Florida Atlantic University for the past three seasons and is a former associate head coach at UNC. W H AT A R E YOU LO O KIN G FO RWA RD TO TH IS S E ASO N ? For me and [assistant coach] Emily [Loftin], being new coaches here, we are looking forward to getting to know the team, getting into competition mode and figuring out ways we can improve and represent Carolina to the best of our ability. We just wanted to get started, and we see development every day, so that’s what I’m most excited about. W H AT D O YOU WA N T TO SEE IN THE FUTURE OF WO M E N ’ S GO LF AT C A RO LIN A? We want to win national championships and ACC [championships] and be the best team in the country. I grew up in Indiana as a huge fan of women’s soccer, and I saw how dominant women’s soccer was at UNC. It’s been a dream school of mine and a dream job, and I’m happy to be here. [I’m] certainly not content or satisfied yet – the work is just getting started. We want to be a powerhouse for women’s golf. W H AT D R E W YO U BAC K TO COAC HI NG AT U N C ? This is the place that – from the get-go – I wanted to be. I played professionally at Michigan State University, coached at Michigan State, and then I coached at Vanderbilt. My boss at Vanderbilt asked me what my dream job was; I told him that it was to be at UNC. I came here for a year [in 2017-18] and then got three years of head coaching experience at [Florida Atlantic University], which I was incredibly thankful for. When this opportunity came up, it was a no-brainer. It’s about the people – knowing how many coaches and teams here have that standard of winning and of being the best. This is a place that is super passionate about sports and excels academically, culturally 26
chapelhillmagazine.com
December 2021
and athletically. I think, as a competitor, you want to compete on the biggest and best stage that you possibly can, and UNC provides that opportunity for me as a coach. I’m honored to be here. WHAT D ID YOU M ISS AB OUT CHAPEL HILL? It’s probably just the college town vibe, and right now, it’s starting to feel cooler. It’s also getting to be around the 28 varsity sports and all the fantastic coaches and teams that we have. It’s more so just being in the arena with people who are amazing at what they do. THE TEAM SAW AM AZING G ROW T H D URI N G YOUR TIM E AS ASSOCIATE HEAD COAC H [I N 2017-18]. TO WHAT D O YOU ATT RI BUT E T HI S SUCCESS, AND HOW WILL YOU WORK TO CONTINUE THIS G ROWTH? Good players make coaches look good, so it starts in the recruiting frontier. It’s having those relationships be built on trust. I think the