Golf
Nord, Kris
Kris Nord
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- nordkm@mso.umt.edu
- Phone:
- 243-5348
The 2023-24 season is Kris Nord’s 42nd year at the University of Montana, his seventh coaching the women’s golf team.
It’s his second stint in the position. He led the program through its first three years of existence, from 1993-94 to 1995-96, while also coaching the Griz tennis teams.
A Missoula native, Nord was hired as Montana’s head women’s and assistant men’s tennis coach in 1982. He became head coach for both programs in 1986 and led both teams until 2006.
He coached the men’s tennis team through the 2016-17 season, when the women’s golf position opened.
Nord was hired to oversee the program on an interim basis for the 2017 fall season. He was named to the position permanently in January 2018.
The Grizzlies opened the Nord era in September 2017 by carding a score of 895 at the Battle at Old Works in Anaconda. It was the second-best three-round score in program history.
Nord would coach Hailey Hoagland to honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors and the second-best single-season stroke average (75.83) in program history in his first season.
Also, in 2017-18, Baylee Barckley won the Battle at Old Works and tied for second at the Loyola Invitational.
Montana shot a 912 at the 2018 Big Sky Championship, the fourth-lowest score at the tournament in program history.
In Nord’s second year, 2018-19, Montana would shoot an opening-round 292 at the Red Rocks Invitational, the third-best score in program history.
Montana’s three-round score of 900 at Red Rocks was the fourth-best tournament total in program history. Barckley equaled the program record with a score of 68 in the opening round.
In 2019-20, freshman Tricia Joyce carded a two-under 70 in her second collegiate round at the Battle at Old Works.
During the spring season, Kylie Esh shot an opening-round 71 at the Lady Thunderbird Invitational as she tied for second.
In 2020-21, Kylie Esh earned Big Sky Conference All-Tournament honors after tying for fifth at Arrowhead Golf Club in Molalla, Ore., with rounds of 76, 76 and 72.
Esh earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors in 2021-22 after finishing the season with a stroke average of 76.65 and four top-10-finishes in nine tournaments.
During the 2021-22 season, Joyce finished second at the Battle at Old Works, Jessica Ponce tied for first at the Griz Invitational and Ponce tied for sixth at the Big Sky Championship.
Nord was a two-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in men’s tennis and guided the Grizzlies to their first Big Sky championship in 2012.
In 2014, Montana won the Big Sky tournament title and advanced to its first-ever NCAA tournament.
Nord was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 1986 in women’s tennis, the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in men’s tennis in 2012 and ’14.
Nord graduated from Missoula’s Sentinel High in 1976. He won the Class AA state tennis title as a senior and also was named all-state in football and basketball.
Nord was recruited to play football for the Grizzlies but opted to sign a tennis scholarship with UNLV, where he spent his freshman and sophomore years.
Following his second year, Nord took a year off from college and went to Alaska, where he served as a teaching professional at Tanana Valley Community College in Fairbanks.
Nord enrolled at Boise State in the fall of 1979 and finished out his collegiate tennis career with the Broncos. He was the Big Sky Conference champion at No. 3 singles and BSU’s Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete in 1981.
Nord spent a year on the Satellite Circuit before being appointed to the Montana tennis coaching staff in 1982.
Nord earned a degree in health and human performance from UM in 1986.
Nord’s late father, Ron, was the head basketball coach for the Grizzlies from 1962-68 and was an assistant football coach from 1969-74. His brothers, Jeff and Mark, both played basketball for the Grizzlies.
Nord and his wife, Robi, have two sons, Anders and Isak.
It’s his second stint in the position. He led the program through its first three years of existence, from 1993-94 to 1995-96, while also coaching the Griz tennis teams.
A Missoula native, Nord was hired as Montana’s head women’s and assistant men’s tennis coach in 1982. He became head coach for both programs in 1986 and led both teams until 2006.
He coached the men’s tennis team through the 2016-17 season, when the women’s golf position opened.
Nord was hired to oversee the program on an interim basis for the 2017 fall season. He was named to the position permanently in January 2018.
The Grizzlies opened the Nord era in September 2017 by carding a score of 895 at the Battle at Old Works in Anaconda. It was the second-best three-round score in program history.
Nord would coach Hailey Hoagland to honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors and the second-best single-season stroke average (75.83) in program history in his first season.
Also, in 2017-18, Baylee Barckley won the Battle at Old Works and tied for second at the Loyola Invitational.
Montana shot a 912 at the 2018 Big Sky Championship, the fourth-lowest score at the tournament in program history.
In Nord’s second year, 2018-19, Montana would shoot an opening-round 292 at the Red Rocks Invitational, the third-best score in program history.
Montana’s three-round score of 900 at Red Rocks was the fourth-best tournament total in program history. Barckley equaled the program record with a score of 68 in the opening round.
In 2019-20, freshman Tricia Joyce carded a two-under 70 in her second collegiate round at the Battle at Old Works.
During the spring season, Kylie Esh shot an opening-round 71 at the Lady Thunderbird Invitational as she tied for second.
In 2020-21, Kylie Esh earned Big Sky Conference All-Tournament honors after tying for fifth at Arrowhead Golf Club in Molalla, Ore., with rounds of 76, 76 and 72.
Esh earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors in 2021-22 after finishing the season with a stroke average of 76.65 and four top-10-finishes in nine tournaments.
During the 2021-22 season, Joyce finished second at the Battle at Old Works, Jessica Ponce tied for first at the Griz Invitational and Ponce tied for sixth at the Big Sky Championship.
Nord was a two-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in men’s tennis and guided the Grizzlies to their first Big Sky championship in 2012.
In 2014, Montana won the Big Sky tournament title and advanced to its first-ever NCAA tournament.
Nord was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 1986 in women’s tennis, the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in men’s tennis in 2012 and ’14.
Nord graduated from Missoula’s Sentinel High in 1976. He won the Class AA state tennis title as a senior and also was named all-state in football and basketball.
Nord was recruited to play football for the Grizzlies but opted to sign a tennis scholarship with UNLV, where he spent his freshman and sophomore years.
Following his second year, Nord took a year off from college and went to Alaska, where he served as a teaching professional at Tanana Valley Community College in Fairbanks.
Nord enrolled at Boise State in the fall of 1979 and finished out his collegiate tennis career with the Broncos. He was the Big Sky Conference champion at No. 3 singles and BSU’s Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete in 1981.
Nord spent a year on the Satellite Circuit before being appointed to the Montana tennis coaching staff in 1982.
Nord earned a degree in health and human performance from UM in 1986.
Nord’s late father, Ron, was the head basketball coach for the Grizzlies from 1962-68 and was an assistant football coach from 1969-74. His brothers, Jeff and Mark, both played basketball for the Grizzlies.
Nord and his wife, Robi, have two sons, Anders and Isak.
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