DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Embry-Riddle head men's golf coach
Ken Staton was inducted into the Seabreeze High School Hall of Fame on Thursday as part of the Class of 2022. The ceremony was originally scheduled for Sept. 29 but was postponed due to Hurricane Ian. Staton becomes the second Eagle inducted into Seabreeze's Hall of Fame after former head women's soccer coach Samantha Bohon in 2014.
"I was completely surprised by this," Staton said. "When I was notified that I was going to be inducted, I felt honored. It hit me in my heart and brought back a lot of memories about our golf trips, tournaments, and my teammates."
Staton was a three-time letterwinner in golf at Seabreeze from 1988-90. During his junior season, Staton helped the Sandcrabs capture a Five Star Conference title and reach the state championship tournament in 1989.
One year later, he assisted Seabreeze in making a second consecutive appearance at the FHSAA championship tournament, where the Sandcrabs finished tied for second. Staton was later named the Skip Wahlin High School Golfer of the Year and received an invitation to play at the Riviera Open. He also excelled academically as he was included on the Honor Roll all three years.
Staton went on to play four years of collegiate golf at Florida State University. He competed at the NCAA Championship in 1994 and 1995. His success on the course earned him Savane College All-American honors in 1994, and he was a Golf Coaches Association of America All-American in 1995.
After his time as a Seminole, Staton competed on multiple professional tours including the Canadian Tour (1998-01) and the Nationwide Tour (1999, 2004-05, 2007) where he recorded six wins and 10 top-20 finishes. At the end of 2001, he earned his PGA Tour card and played on the tour from 2002-03, achieving two top-5 results.
In the summer of 2010, Staton became the fifth head coach in Embry-Riddle men's golf history and is now in his 13th season at the helm. During his tenure, Staton has produced one All-American, one All-Conference selection, one Academic All-American, four Academic All-District honorees, four Scholar-Athletes, two Srixon/Cleveland All-America Scholars, two Champions of Character, 69 Academic All-Conference selections, and 15 Academic Achievement Award recipients.
Multiple program records have fallen under Staton's watch, including lowest season stroke average and lowest 54-hole score. Embry-Riddle reached the NAIA National Tournament twice with Staton as the head coach and sent an individual to the 2022 NCAA II National Championship this past spring.
The 2022-23 Embry-Riddle Men's Golf season is presented by Tijuana Flats.
