Robby Pickett Announced as New Men's Golf Head Coach

ROCHESTER, Mich. - Oakland University has announced the hiring of Robert Pickett as the newest head coach of the men's golf program.

"I am happy to welcome Robby to the OU Athletics family and look forward to him leading the OU men's golf program!" said Oakland Director of Athletics Steve Waterfield. "During my conversation with Robby, his passion for the sport of golf and the vision he outlined for a program that provides opportunities for student-athletes to grow not only as golfers but as people made him the ideal person to build upon the solid, successful foundation that Nick Pumford established. I look forward to watching Robby lead the men's golf program and am excited to see what he and the OU men's golf student-athletes accomplish."

Pickett spent the last two seasons (2023-25) as the assistant coach of the Abilene Christian University (ACU) men's golf team. Under Pickett's leadership, the Wildcats earned seven top-three finishes, including a pair of top-five performances at the WAC Championships in both 2023-24 and 2024-25.

During his tenure, ACU rose to 116th in the national rankings-40 spots higher than the previous season and the program's highest mark since joining Division I. Pickett coached two All-WAC selections: Zane Heusel (2023-24) and Grégoire Hoyeau (2024–25). He also placed a strong emphasis on academic success, with six student-athletes earning All-America Scholar recognition. Honorees included Thomas Buisson, Hoyeau, and Charlie Jackson in 2023-24, and Preston DeFriend, Hoyeau (again), and Jaime Lewis in 2024-25.

"I am excited to be named the next head men's golf coach at Oakland University and to be back in the Midwest," said Pickett. "I am grateful to both Steve Waterfield and Nick Pumford for believing in me and allowing me the opportunity to lead this group of young men. I was blown away by what the Oakland golf program has to offer its student-athletes and knew it was the place for me to continue my career in college golf. My goal is to serve our student-athletes and establish a culture where they are loved and challenged in pursuit of their goals. It will take hard work, determination, and resilience, but we will have fun, improve, and build lifelong relationships along the way."

Before his time at ACU, Pickett served as head coach of both the men's and women's golf teams at Thomas More University during the 2022-23 season. He held the same role the previous year at Lake Erie College and also served as an assistant coach at Denison University and a graduate assistant at Ohio Dominican University.

As a student-athlete, Pickett had a standout collegiate career at Allegheny College from 2013 to 2016. He finished his senior season with a 74.1 scoring average—the third-best in program history. He was named the 2016 Allegheny Male Athlete of the Year, earned First-Team All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors, and was selected for the 2016 NCAA Great Lakes All-Region team.

With a strong blend of coaching experience, academic emphasis, and a successful playing background, Pickett brings a well-rounded perspective to Oakland University. The Golden Grizzlies are poised for continued success under his leadership, both on the course and in the classroom.

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