Neil Self, a Florence, Alabama native, has led the University of North Alabama women’s golf program since its inception in 2018 and enters his eighth season as head coach in 2025–26. After serving three seasons as an assistant with the UNA men’s golf team, Self was tasked with building the women’s program from the ground up. He recruited and coached the first team during the 2018–19 season, guiding the Lions through steady growth in competition and performance. Beyond tournament play, his program has achieved notable success in academics and community engagement, including becoming the first team in school history to post a 4.0 semester GPA in Spring 2024. The Lions also earned the Bank Independent Community Engagement Award in 2024 and 2025 and ranked fourth nationally among NCAA Division I women’s golf programs in community service hours in 2025.
A product of Kilby Laboratory School and Bradshaw High School, Self began playing golf at age six under the instruction of PGA professional Chris Burns. Following a decorated junior career that included multiple team and individual state championships, he earned a golf scholarship to Louisiana State University, competing for three seasons before transferring to Birmingham-Southern College, where he graduated in 2006 with a degree in history. Self returned to coaching in 2015 as an assistant with the UNA men’s program, helping lead the team to two NCAA Regional appearances and a Division II National Championship Tournament berth. He is the first and only head coach in UNA women’s golf history and is the grandson of former UNA head football coach and athletic director Hal Self.
