NAPERVILLE, IL (Nov. 13, 2025) – North Central College men's and women's golf coach Rachel Gray is set to attend the upcoming NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA) in Indianapolis from November 16th to 18th. Gray will become a part of the 55th class of the WCA, which is made up of coaches from the NAIA, the NJCAA as well as coaches from across all three levels of the NCAA. She was selected by WeCoach to both attend the academy and receive a scholarship to help cover costs.
The conference, which features 78 women coaches from across 18 different sports, is hosted through a partnership between WeCoach and the NCAA. WeCoach is a nonprofit focused on uplifting women coaches in all sports via year-round leadership and growth programs.
"I'm hoping I learn a lot from women who have paved the way, and I return with new motivations in coaching," Gray said. "I look forward to making some amazing new friends and taking some time to reflect on my coaching journey and how far I've come."
Gray, who is in her second year at the helm of both the men's and women's golf programs, has helped elevate both programs early on in her stint here at North Central, leading the women's golf program to a third-place finish in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Championship in 2024 and a second-place finish this fall.
On the men's side, she oversaw five top-three finishes last season, including a first-place finish at the Butts Invite hosted by Millikin, the first top finish by a Cardinal team since March of 2019. In CCIW competition, the men's program finished in fifth last spring, an improvement from its sixth-place finish the year prior.
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Gray attributes the success to newfound local partnerships she has helped to curate since taking the job atop both programs.
"Places like Decade Statistics , White Eagle (our new outdoor home) and looking forward to even more exciting relationships with facilities such as Clubhouse540 and The Golf Practice (our two new indoor homes)," Gray said. "Internship opportunities within the CDGA and the USGA are exciting new developments for us as we look towards the future.
"I want to give a huge shoutout to the amazing families that raised such fun young adults that I love getting to spend my time with," Gray added. "While we're at it, let's shout out my graduate assistants [Mitch Boryszewski '24 (men's) and Kelsey O'Connor (women's)], without whom I would never be able to do this."
According to WeCoach, only 41% of NCAA women's teams are coached by women, and only 6% of men's teams are led by women. Gray fits into both categories.
"[The stats] are not something that I've spent a lot of time thinking about because it's all I've known," Gray said. "I just feel like a coach!
"I am hoping to gain a new perspective in coaching and honor the hard work that I've done in the last handful of years," Gray, who has been in coaching since 2016, added. "But I also am just so honored to have had amazing women who have paved the way for me to do what I do. Title IX was really not that long ago, and I have had amazing coaching friends and colleagues who remember marching for those rights and were integral parts of the community in building up what we know and love today."
Gray hopes her experience in Indianapolis will help pay dividends not only in the immediate future but in the long-term future as she continues to grow both programs.
"Because we're continuing to grow and make amazing connections, we've been able to organize some cool opportunities for our athletes and families. Recently, we hosted our inaugural North Central golf luncheon with all the families, and we had about 70 people there," Gray said. "I'm just so happy with the buy-in within the program. I think they know how much I love and care about them and the program and the school, and it gives them a space to feel the same passions too."
The WCA selects from a pool of applicants to attend its academy, and Gray was one of the selections this year, receiving a scholarship along with it.
"I'm so grateful to WeCoach for selecting me and for being chosen as a scholarship recipient," Gray said. "I just want to be a lifelong learner, and going to conferences or conventions is just so fun for me. I'm really excited."
For the full release and the list of WeCoach attendees, click here.
