Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Famer Demi Runas will return to her alma mater to lead the UC Davis women's golf program, director of athletics
Rocko DeLuca announced Tuesday.
"It is with great excitement we welcome back Demi Runas to UC Davis, DeLuca said. "As one of our most decorated alumna and a Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame member, she knows what it takes to compete at the highest level and I am thrilled to work with her as we strive for Big West championships."
The three-time Big West Golfer of the Year takes over the program after a 10-year professional career that included becoming the first Aggie to earn her LPGA Tour card.
"My time as a student-athlete at UC Davis has always been special to me and I am looking forward to my journey coming full circle as the head women's golf coach," Runas said. "As a former member of the team, I have seen first-hand the success this program is capable of, and I am excited for the opportunity to work towards that once again."
Dumas, who was inducted into the CAAHOF in 2020, helped UC Davis capture the Big West team championship every year she competed (2010-13), adding an individual title of her own in 2013. The Aggies made the NCAA postseason all four years and advanced from the regional to the national finals in her sophomore and senior seasons.
"Demi is a respected professional golfer and an active member in the golf community," DeLuca added. "Demi has a vast network and knowledge of the game, and we are proud to have her leading our Aggie program."
Runas remains the program's career leader in scoring average (73.91), top-10 finishes (31) and top-five finishes (18), while her senior season totals of a 72.63 average, 19 rounds of par or better, 11 top-10 finishes, and eight top-five finishes remain school records.
Runas graduated from UC Davis with her degree in communication in 2013. She won her first professional title on the Cactus Tour that summer, then later achieved another program milestone by becoming the first Aggie to earn her LPGA Tour card, thanks to a ninth-place finish on the Symetra Tour's 2014 money list. Runas played in 45 events on the LPGA Tour and announced her retirement from professional golf last year.
What They Are Saying:
Anne Walker – Stanford Women's Golf Head Coach (
Former UC Davis Women's Head Coach)
"UC Davis made a fantastic hire in Demi Runas. She has always believed in Aggie Golf and further, she knows exactly what it takes to be a world class golfer there. She is a fierce competitor, terrific communicator and will undoubtedly be an amazing leader for the next generation of UCD women golfers. I'm proud of her and excited to watch her grow the program back to national prominence."
Cy Williams – UC Davis Men's Golf Head Coach
"Super excited to have Demi back at UC Davis, this time leading the charge. She loves the Aggies, has been a very successful golfer and will know how to find the recruits that will do great things here. Most of all she's a really special person that will relate well with her players. We are very fortunate to have her back and I look forward to working with her and helping Demi however I can."
