BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Valeria Patino, a former five-time Big Sky all-conference performer, has been named assistant women’s golf coach at Campbell University, head coach John Crooks announced on Monday.
 
Patino joins the Fighting Camel program after spending the last two years as graduate assistant coach at Ball State.
 
“Val has had multiple experiences playing internationally,” said Crooks, a WGCA Hall of Fame member who ranks second among all Division I women’s head coaches with 99 tournament coaching titles.  “Combined with her outstanding collegiate playing career and her coaching duties, I believe she will be the perfect fit to help the Fighting Camels win our first CAA championship.”
 
In two seasons at Ball State, Patino helped the Cardinals win two team tournament titles and improve their national ranking by 50 places.  During her tenure, Ball State golfers set 18- and 54-hole program records and improved their scoring averages by seven strokes over 18 holes and 27 shots over 54 holes.
 
“When I received Valeria’s resume and supporting references, I was impressed,” said Crooks.  “She checked all the boxes for the women’s golf team’s needs.”
 
Born in Florida and raised in Panama, Patino earned Big Sky first-team all-conference recognition three times (2019-21) and was twice selected second-team all-league (2018, 2022) during her playing career at the University of Idaho.  She helped the Vandals win the 2018 Big Sky Championship and earn a place in the NCAA Madison Regional.
 
Patino tied for 12th in the 2018 Big Sky Championship and posted top-10 finishes in each of her next three conference tournaments.
 
“I am very excited to be a part of this amazing team,” said Patino.  “Given the high level of the staff, coaches and players, I am sure that we will achieve great success.”
 
Patino earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Idaho in 2022 and a master’s degree in sport administration from Ball State in 2024.  While at Ball State, she completed a marketing internship in the athletics department.  As an undergraduate, she interned with the Vandals’ sports marketing program as well.
 
She represented Panama in numerous junior events, including the Junior Open.  Patino was also ranked first on the Texas junior tour in 2017 while spending her final two prep years at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas.
 
Patino joins a program that has advanced to 25 NCAA regional championships in the last 31 seasons and won seven of its last eight conference titles.  The Camels return four players who finished among the top 15 individuals at the 2024 Coastal Athletic Association Championship, including the 2024 CAA rookie of the year Alicia Olsson and 2023 Big South freshman of the year Isabella Hahne.