The only Head Coach in Embry-Riddle women's golf history, Maria Lopez has guided the Blue and Gold for more than two decades, and has built a program that truly embodies the Embry-Riddle mantra of Student, Person, Player. A two-time LPGA National Coach of the Year, and eight time conference Coach of the Year, Lopez's accomplishments also include seven conference titles, five regional crowns, and 14 straight appearances at the NAIA National Championships.
The 2025-26 season marks Maria Lopez's 26th season at the helm of the Embry-Riddle women's golf program. The Volusia County native pioneered the women’s golf program at ERAU in 2000, also serving as the Embry-Riddle men's golf coach from 2003-10.
Remarkably, from 2003-2013, the Eagles strung together 11 straight top-six finishes at the NAIA Women's Golf National Championship, twice finishing as national runner-up and four more times placing third overall. In 2023, true freshman Loa Johannsson became the program's first-ever NCAA Regional qualifier following a record-breaking rookie campaign, and she returned to postseason competition two years later in 2025.
Since joining the NCAA, Lopez's squads have posted six of the top-seven lowest team stroke averages in program history, while Eagle individuals have posted seven of the 10-lowest career scoring averages.
Lopez, a true teacher of the game, has seen her Eagles earn 41 All-America honors, 20 NAIA National Championship All-Tournament team members, 40 All-Sun Conference team members, 23 All-Region honorees, and nine Conference/Region Players of the Year.
In the classroom, Lopez has overseen 103 Academic All-Conference awardees, 27 WGCA All-American Scholars, 18 NAIA Scholar-Athletes and three CSC Academic All-District selections. The Blue and Gold was the inaugural NAIA Buffalo Funds Champions of Character Team in 2006 and recognized as an NAIA Scholar Team four times and in 2019 was named a WGCA All-Scholar Team.
Lopez herself has been named Regional/Conference Coach of the Year eight times and was The Sun Conference Coach of Character Award winner in 2010. Lopez was named the 2007 Coach of the Year by the The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP), marking the first time a coach from an NAIA institution had been given the award. She repeated as the LPGA Professional's National Coach of the Year in 2020.
From 2003-10, Lopez assumed the head coach position of the men’s golf program, leading them to two National Championship appearances, a conference championship runner-up team finish and 12 top-three finishes. In addition Lopez’s student-athletes garnered individual honors, including three individual titles, one All-America honor, one Sun Conference Player of the Year, four All-Sun Conference team members, two All-Region XIV team members, one conference A.O. Duer Award nominee, 13 NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 12 Academic All-Conference recipients. The men’s golf squad was also recognized as an NAIA Scholar Team in 2010.
Lopez has also been very active at the national, regional and conference levels of collegiate golf. Among her roles, she has served as President of the NAIA Women’s Golf Coaches Association, golf rater for The Sun Conference, regional women’s golf rater and the men’s and women’s regional golf chair.
A three-year letter winner at Alabama, Lopez competed for the Crimson Tide from 1989-92. During her tenure at Tuscaloosa, Lopez also won a U.S. Amateur sectional qualifier, earning her the right to participate in the 1992 US Women’s Amateur. After graduation, Lopez made the jump to the professional ranks, beginning with the Futures Tour in 1993. During that time, she also competed on the Asian (1994, 1997), European and Australian Tours (1994). In 1998, she retired from full-time competition after a long battle with injuries. Lopez returned to competitive golf in 2000 and occasionally competes in various professional events in order to maintain and sharpen her skills as a player and instructor.
Since 1994, Lopez has caddied numerous LPGA and Futures Tour events. Her experience as a player and keen eye for instruction makes caddying and coaching a natural fit. Lopez has coached professional players to five LPGA Tour memberships, appearances in five US Women’s Open Championships, three Nabisco Championships, two Canadian Opens, one Women’s British Open and one USGA Public Links Championship. Throughout the year, Lopez will work with tour players, and on occasion, they play with her teams during the off-season. Tracy Hanson, Jamie Hullett, Katherine Hull and Kristen Samp have been great friends and mentors to the program.
The product of a true “American Dream” story, Lopez is the youngest child of Cuban immigrants Julian and Dora Lopez. Younger sister to Julian Jr. and Nancy, her golf roots may have been predictable as she competed in her first golf tournament with them at the age of three. Lopez credits her family, especially her grandmother Margie and sister Nancy, as the inspiration to make a difference in young peoples’ lives.
Lopez is currently a Class A member of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division and a certified Henry-Griffitts golf club fitter. She serves as a National Educator and Mentor to apprentice members. During the school year, Lopez serves as a guest instructor on campus for Introduction to Health and Fitness, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and various Hispanic and female awareness initiatives.
Lopez was a Dean’s List student at Alabama and graduated in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition/Hospitality Management and completed her master’s degree in Human Factors Psychology and Systems Engineering at Embry-Riddle. Lopez currently resides in Ormond Beach.
