Amy Bond, who is in her third season as Florida State's head coach, is one of the cornerstones of the Seminole women's golf program. First as a player, then an assistant coach and now as its head coach, Bond's commitment to the success of the program at her alma mater is unmatched. As a player she earned a spot on the ACC's 50th Anniversary team, as an assistant coach she helped the Seminoles to three NCAA Tournament appearances and now, as the fifth head coach in the history of the program, she has led Florida State to two NCAA Tournament appearances in two years.
Throughout her career at Florida State, she has played as one of the Seminoles top players (she was named Florida State's team MVP in 1999), played with a number of touring professionals (including two-time LPGA major winner Karen Stupples) and has coached many of Florida State's recent greats including the only four-time golf All-American in school history (Caroline Westrup). While achieving success during her career as a player and a coach, Bond has never lost sight of her ultimate goal: the success and achievements of her student-athletes.
In the first seven seasons as a Seminole coach (five as an assistant, two as the head coach), every student-athlete who has played golf at Florida State has earned her bachelor's degree and every one played on at least two NCAA Tournament teams during their careers.
In Bond's first two seasons as Florida State's head coach, the Seminoles have played in two NCAA Regional Championships, have had two players (Jessica Negron in 2011 and Maria Salinas in 2012) play in the NCAA Championship Finals, finished in the top five of two consecutive ACC Tournaments, earned two NCAA Regional All-American selections, two All-ACC selections and had five players earn their degrees from Florida State.
RETURNING HOME
Amy Bond joined the long and illustrious list of Florida State alumni who have returned to their alma mater when she was named the Seminoles' head coach on June 25, 2010. She returned to her Seminole roots after an outstanding playing career at Florida State (1995-99) during which she finished in 30th place in the 1999 NCAA Championship Finals and a five-year career as an assistant coach (2002-06) when she helped lead the Seminoles to the NCAA Championships three times. Bond is one of three Florida State alumni who are current head coaches at Florida State joining Jennifer Hyde (women's tennis) and Mike Martin (baseball).
SUCCESS AT PRINCETON
Bond was successful in her first head coaching position at Princeton (2006-10) as she guided the Tigers to eight tournament victories and top four finishes in four Ivy League championship tournaments. The Tigers finished in second place in the Ivy league championship in 2007. Bond coached Susannah Aboff to consecutive Ivy League individual championships in 2008 and 2009 to mark only the third time in league history that a player had won consecutive individual conference championships. Aboff earned All-Ivy League honors three times during her career becoming just the second player in school history to be named to the all-league team three times in her career. During her four seasons at Princeton, only the Tigers and Harvard performed consistently in the conference championship by finishing in the top four of the team championship from 2007-10.
RECRUITING SUCCESS
During her four seasons at Princeton, Bond coached/recruited two players (Susannah Aboff and Kelly Shon) who qualified to play in an NCAA Regional Championship and five players who earned All-Ivy League honors a total of 10 times. Aboff won eight individual tournament championships during her career and finished in a tie for 23rd place at the NCAA East Regional Championship in 2009 - the third highest NCAA regional finish in school history. Shon played in the 2011 and 2012 US Women's Open. Shon was ranked No. 4 nationally among junior golfers and is the highest ranked junior recruit to ever attend an Ivy League institution. In five years as an assistant coach at Florida State, Bond helped recruit four players who earned All-ACC honors a total of eight times and formed the nucleus of two top 20 ranked teams. The Seminoles finished in a tie for 16th nationally in 2006 and in a tie for 19th nationally in 2004. She was also instrumental in recruiting Caroline Westrup - the only four-time All-American and four time All-ACC selection in school history.
PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS
Bond has recruited and coached seven players who have played, or who are currently playing professional golf. She recruited and coached Kristin Tamulis (Florida State) who is currently playing on the LPGA Tour. She also recruited and coached four-time All-American Caroline Westrup (Florida State) who is currently playing on the European Futures Tour, one player who is currently playing on the LPGA Tour (Lacey Agnew), three players (Macarena Silva, Whitney Wright, Marlowe Boukis) who are currently playing on the Futures Tour and two players (Susannah Aboff and Michelle Grilli) who began their professional careers on the LPGA Futures Tour.
BOND ON THE NATIONAL SCENE
Bond is the vice-president of the National Golf Coaches Association Board of Directors; she was elevated to the position at the 2012 NCAA Championship Finals in Franklin, Tenn. As her first duty as the vice president of the organization, she had the honor of announcing Seminole senior Maria Salinas as an All-American at the NGCA Honors Banquet. Bond has risen steadily through the ranks of the national governing board after serving the organization as its treasurer. Bond began on the NGCA Board as its treasurer (2009-12), is currently its vice president (2012-14) and will serve as its president during a two-year term beginning in 2014. The NGCA was formed in 1983 as an organization to promote participation in women's collegiate golf. The vision of NGCA since its inception has been to encourage the playing of intercollegiate golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition.
ACADEMIC ACCOLADES
Bond has made it part of her coaching philosophy to demand outstanding academic achievement from every one of her players. She began developing that philosophy as a player at Florida State as she was named an Academic All-American in 1998 and 1999 and earned ACC Academic Honor Roll accolades three times during her playing career (1996, 98, 99). A total of 35 players have named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll during her Seminole career as a member of the Seminoles' coaching staff. four players (for a total of five awards) have earned the honor have been named to the All-ACC Women's Golf Team in her first two seasons as the Seminoles' head coach. She has also seen nine different players named to the All-America Scholar Team and eight players named to the ACC Academic team during her first two years as the Seminoles' head coach.
TOP 50 PLAYER IN ACC HISTORY
Bond was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference 50th Anniversary team in 2002 along with Seminole greats Karen Stupples and Louise Wright. Bond was a 1998 All-ACC selection and the Seminoles' top player from 1996-99. She earned ten top-10 finishes during her career and was named the Seminoles' Most Valuable Player each year during her career. Bond competed in the NCAA Championship tournament in 1999 and played in three NCAA regional tournaments while finishing in the top 20 in four consecutive ACC Championship tournaments. She was an All Region selection in 1999 and was the medalist at the 1998 Ryder/Florida State Championship tournament.
COMMUNITY SERVICE CHAMPIONS
The Seminoles women's golf team won its 11th consecutive Athletic Director's Cup for Service at the annual Golden Nole Banquet 2012. The Athletic Director's Cup for Service presented annually and is the most prestigious award given to the to the Seminole student-athletes. It goes to the team that contributes the most service hours to the community over the course of an entire year. The Seminoles won the Athletic Director's Cup for Service in each of Bond's five years as an assistant coach and in her first two seasons as the Seminoles' head coach.
PERSONAL
An Ocala, Fla., native, Bond earned a bachelor's degree in sport management from Florida State in 1997 before earning her master's degree in sport administration from Florida State in 1999. Bond's twin brother, Tommy, is the Director of Athletics and head baseball coach at Trinity Catholic in Ocala, Fla.
