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DIANA CANTU | HEAD COACH

After seven outstanding seasons as the women’s golf head coach at Maryland, former All-SEC Lady Vol golf standout and 2021 Big Ten Coach of the Year Diana Cantú (pronounced: dee-YON-uh kahn-TOO) returned to Tennessee to take the reins at her alma mater.

Cantú was named the program’s fourth all-time head coach on June 8, 2021, and enters her third season leading UT's program in 2023-24.

The trajectory of the Lady Vols' program showed significant uptick in 2022-23, as Tennessee nearly tripled its team rounds of par or better from the previous year. The Lady Vols were selected to the 2023 NCAA Westfield Regional.

Cantú was a student-athlete at Tennessee from 2006-10. Her 130 career rounds played stand as the fifth-most in Lady Vol program history. Originally from the city of Monterrey in Nuevo León, Mexico, Cantú was a member of three teams that advanced to the NCAA Championships (2007, 2009, 2010) during her collegiate playing career with the Lady Vols.

She led Maryland’s program to unprecedented success during her seven-year tenure as head coach. In 2021, Cantú’s Terrapins squad turned in its best-ever finish at the Big Ten Championships (second), advanced to the NCAA Championships as a team for the first time in program history and earned its best-ever national ranking at No. 14. She was selected as the Big Ten Coach of the Year at season’s end.

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“This is an incredibly exciting time for our women’s golf program,” Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White said. “Diana Cantú is a proven head coach who is known and respected throughout the national and international golf community. As a Lady Vol herself, she has a genuine love for this university, and she is stepping into a really great situation. Her ability to recruit and develop student-athletes, along with working every day at the best collegiate golf facility in the country is a powerful combination.”

As further proof of Cantú’s ability to develop and sustain a healthy “Power Five” women’s golf program, five of Maryland’s top-seven all-time season stroke averages prior to 2022 came during her head coaching tenure.

Cantú’s Terrapin teams also achieved excellence academically. It was during her tenure that the program recorded the highest team GPA in its history.

“I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to come back home to Tennessee,” Cantú said. “As a proud alum, I know the history of the athletic department and women’s golf program. I’m also well aware of the endless opportunities for success our student-athletes receive. I look forward to continuing to build on the foundation that Judi Pavon established. I know that with the facilities and resources that Tennessee provides—Day Golf Practice Facility and the Blackburn-Furrow Clubhouse—we will be able to compete at a high level within our conference and nationally.

“I want to thank Danny White, Angie Boyd Keck and the rest of UT’s leadership team for giving me the opportunity to lead this program. Danny’s commitment to women’s golf and his vision for our student-athletes to be winners in life—both on and off the course—while having fun doing so spoke to me and made me even more excited to come back home to Rocky Top.”

At the time of her hiring at Tennessee, Cantú became the fourth active UT head coach who was once a Vol or Lady Vol student-athlete.

She took over for the woman who recruited and coached her at UT, Judi Pavon. When Pavon was honored with the prestigious Gladys Palmer Meritorious Service Award during the 2019 WGCA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Las Vegas, it was Cantú who introduced her mentor.

Cantú is an LPGA Class B member and is TPI-certified. She currently serves as the secretary for the Women’s Golf Coaches Association Board of Directors.

She graduated from Tennessee with a degree in Business Administration in 2010 and a holds a master’s degree in Sports Management from Baylor.

CANTÚ’S COACHING JOURNEY BACK TO ROCKY TOP
Prior to returning to Rocky Top to lead the Lady Vol program, Cantú sharpened her coaching acumen as an assistant at Baylor for three years before earning her first opportunity to oversee a program at Maryland in 2014—at just 26 years old.

As part of Maryland’s aforementioned second-place finish at the 2021 Big Ten Championships, Cantú saw four of her golfers log top-15 individual finishes.

Maryland’s second of two team titles under Cantú came in March of 2020. The Terrapins shot 7-under, 281 in the final round of the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida, to claim the victory. Eighteen birdies and an eagle in the final round helped Maryland finish six shots ahead of second place.

In 2019, Cantú led the Terrapins to the program’s first NCAA Regional appearance since 2012. That 2019 Maryland squad concluded the season ranked No. 44 nationally by Golfstat—the highest year-end ranking in program history at that time.

Under Cantú’s mentorship, Virunpat Olankitkunchai shot 3-under, 213 at the 2019 Auburn Regional to become the first Terrapin in program history to advance to the NCAA Championships as an individual.

The spring of 2018 saw Cantú’s Terrapins finish the Big Ten Championship in second place—the program’s highest finish in the conference championship since joining the league.

In September of 2017, Cantú led Maryland to the program’s first team tournament championship since 2012, capturing a win at the Nittany Lion Invitational.

Prior to taking over at Maryland, Cantú was hired as the top assistant coach at Baylor in the summer of 2011. In her first season with the Lady Bears, Cantú helped lead Baylor to the program’s second-ever NCAA Championship team appearance. That same season, Hayley Davis became Baylor’s first-ever women’s golfer to earn All-America acclaim.

Cantú’s second year in Waco saw Lady Bear Lauren Taylor named Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

LEGACY AS A LADY VOL
As a sophomore at Tennessee during the 2007-08 season, Cantú was the only Lady Vol to compete in all 30 rounds. In the second and third tournaments of the season, she posted back-to-back top-five individual finishes to lead Tennessee to fifth place in both tournaments.

The 2007 Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship saw Cantú log a career-best three-day score of 214 (+1).

Cantú registered the second-best score among Lady Vols at the 2008 SEC Championship, tying for 33rd individually with a final score of 236.

In the 2008-09 season, Cantú ranked fourth in the country in three-putt holes (.70) during her junior campaign.

At the 2008 Mason Rudolph Championship, Cantú fired home a season-best score of 221 (+5), including a season-best round of 71 (-1) during the second round, to lead the Lady Vols with a 23rd-place individual finish.

Her third season on Rocky Top also included her strong performance at the NGCA Hooter Match Play, leading Tennessee with a 2-0-1 record.

Tying for 12th place (+11, 227) at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic marked the best finish of Cantú’s junior year, as she powered the Lady Vols to a second-place team finish.

A season scoring average of 74.85 as a senior in 2009-10 came in 34 rounds played for Cantú. Second-team All-SEC honors highlighted Cantu’s stellar performance that season.

A season-best round of 69 (-3) during the second round of the 2009 Tar Heel Invite led her to an 11th-place finish.

Her highest individual finish as a Lady Vol came when she posted a fourth-place finish at the Alamo Invitational during her final year on Rocky Top.

En route to Tennessee’s first-place team finish at the 2009 Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship, Cantu posted an eighth-place finish with a total score of 219 (+3).

Logging a sixth-place finish at the 2010 Kinderlou Forest Challenge with a 2-over, 221 performance, Cantú went on to finish tied for seventh place at the 2010 NCAA East Regional (-1, 215).

Cantú concluded her collegiate career with a third and final NCAA Championship appearance, where she earned NCAA All-East Region honors in 2010.

She logged 14 career rounds of par or better, as well as six top-10 finishes during her playing career at Tennessee. Her career stroke average with the Lady Vols was 76.16.

FOR LOVE OF COUNTRY
Cantú joined the Mexican Junior Golf Association at the age of six. After winning the Mexican Junior Masters in 2001, she finished 12th in the Junior World Championship at age 15.

As an amateur golfer prior to her Tennessee career and through her time in Knoxville as a collegian, Cantú was a member of the Mexican National Team from 2005-10 and won the individual silver medal at the 2007 University Games in Thailand to help lead Mexico to the team gold.

Cantú earned top honors at the 2004 Mexican Amateur and tied for the youngest player ever to win that event at age 17. She again took home the Mexican Amateur title in 2005 and was the runner-up in 2006.

Now, as a collegiate head coach, Cantú has built a record as a stellar international recruiter, having signed student-athletes from China, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

Upon her hiring at Tennessee in 2021, Cantú became the seventh internationally-born head coach in school history—and the first from Mexico.

NIC ROBINSON | ASSISTANT COACH

Nic Robinson joined the Tennessee women’s golf program as an assistant coach in June of 2021. The 2021-22 season marks his first year on Diana Cantú’s staff.

Prior to his arrival on Rocky Top, Robinson spent four seasons with the Charlotte 49ers, serving as the program’s assistant women’s golf coach.

Hired at Charlotte prior to the program’s inaugural season in 2017-18, Robinson helped the 49ers claim three top-five finishes during their debut campaign.

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In the following year, Charlotte placed second at the Conference USA Championship. The 49ers logged five top-five finishes in 2018-19, had two players earn All-Conference USA honors and sent Cecilie Finne-Ipsen to the NCAA Championships as an individual.

“I am very excited to have Nic join the Lady Vol golf family,” head coach Cantu said. “He brings energy, competitiveness, elite golf knowledge and a passion for making collegiate golf programs better. Every person I spoke to about Nic talked about his strong ability to develop players.

“Nic brings a wealth of knowledge in course management, statistics, technology and tournament preparation. He helped start the UNC Charlotte program, which reached a top-30 ranking in only three years. I am thrilled for Nic to get started, get on the road and prepare for a great first season on Rocky Top.”

Despite only participating in six tournaments during the 2019-20 season to COVID-19, Robinson’s Charlotte squad earned two team titles at the Yale Invitational and the Idle Hour Collegiate–the first two tournament wins in the young program’s history–while adding three additional top-five finishes for a shortened-season total of five.

By Charlotte’s third varsity season, Robinson had helped guide Charlotte to a No. 27 national ranking by Golfweek and assisted in developing five eventual All-Conference USA performers.

"I'm humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to work for the University of Tennessee and Coach Diana Cantu,” Robinson said. “The Lady Vols have a longstanding tradition of excellence, and I can't wait to be a part of this incredible program. I want to thank coach Cantu for this opportunity, and I cannot wait to get started."

Preceding Robinson’s time at Charlotte was a three-year tenure as the head coach of Asbury University’s women’s golf program. By 2017, Robinson’s Eagles achieved a national ranking of No. 49. Robinson also served as the Connemara Golf Course Head Golf Pro from 2015-17.

Robinson’s coaching career began at Lexington Christian Academy in Kentucky as the school’s head golf coach from 2012-14.

Robinson earned his degree in Biomedical Science from Southeast Missouri State in 2010.

ANNA NEWELL | ASSISTANT COACH

Tennessee head coach Diana Cantu welcomed former Lady Vols golf standout Anna Newell as an assistant coach in July of 2023.

"I am so excited to welcome Anna back to Big Orange Country," Cantú said. "Anna is a former Lady Vol golfer who had great success as a student-athlete at UT. As a two-time All-American, she represented this program with excellence and pride. Her passion for the Lady Vol legacy and our Tennessee traditions is truly unmatched. As a golfer, coach and mentor, Anna always brings great energy. Her experience playing at the highest level and as a golf instructor will be a great asset to this program."

Newell was a student-athlete at UT from 2014-18. Her player bio can be viewed HERE.

"My time at the University of Tennessee and representing the Lady Volunteer golf program has shaped my life over the years," Newell said. "With such a historic program, I am honored to be able help shape that legacy again."

Boasting professional golf experience, Newell competed in the Symetra Tour Rookie Season in 2018 where she started in 11 events, making two cuts and posting a top-15 finish at the PHC Classic.

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