Nancy McDaniel, who started Cal’s women’s golf program in 1995 and served as the Bears head coach for 29 years before retiring in May, died on Wednesday after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 57.

“Nancy was a terrific golf coach, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the legacy she will leave as a person, wife, mother, friend, leader and role model,” Cal Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said in a statmenbt issued by the school. “Nancy lit up every room she entered, and always put a smile on the faces of those around her. She also was an inspirational role model to the hundreds of young women who were fortunate enough to be coached by her at Cal. Our prayers go out to her husband, Jay, her immediate and extended family, and all of the many people she touched throughout her life. Nancy will be dearly missed.”

McDaniel was originally from Portland, Oregon, and was a star golfer at the University of Washington. Cal hired her to start a women’s golf porgram 29 years ago.

The Bears qualified for 23 NCAA regionals and made 10 trips to the NCAA Championships with McDaniel as head coach.

She was inducted into the WGCA Hall of Fame in 2016 and was voted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame this year.

McDaniel was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year twice and led Cal to two conference championships. In 2003, she was named the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Coach of the Year as well as Golfweek’s Coach of the Year.

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