Kalin Merkley has been promoted to head coach of the SUNY Cortland women's golf program for the 2024-25 season, according to Mike Urtz, Cortland's director of athletics. In addition, Merkley will serve as the Cortland Athletics Coordinator of Academic Support.
 
A Cortland alumna and former player, Merkley was the program's assistant coach in both 2022-23 and 2023-24 and previously served as a volunteer assistant in 2013-14.
 
"I am thrilled and honored to take on the role of women's golf head coach at SUNY Cortland," Merkley said. As a former Red Dragon, Cortland holds a special place in my heart, and I am excited to have the opportunity to give back to the program that helped shape my own journey. I look forward to building on the tradition of excellence and guiding our student-athletes to success both on and off the course."
Merkley's playing highlights at Cortland included a tie for second at the St. Lawrence Invitational, a third-place showing at the Cortland Martin/Wallace Invitational and a tie for fourth at the Williams Spring Invitational in her senior year, as well as first-place finishes in tri-match and dual-match events and a third-place St. Lawrence Invitational showing as a junior.

Merkley earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cortland in December 2013 and a master's degree in physical education leadership from Cortland in May 2018. A Sarasota, Fla., native, Merkley attended Seminole State College of Florida prior to transferring to Cortland. She's a 2009 graduate of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, where she was a golf captain, four-time team MVP, and the Class 1A District runner-up as a senior, in addition to a soccer letterwinner.
 
"We are excited to have Kalin join us in this role of leading our women's golf program and heading our academic coordinator position," Urtz said. "Kalin's experience as a former player and assistant coach as well as working in education for the past several years makes her a prime fit for our Cortland Athletics department."

Merkley previously was a physical education teacher at Cazenovia High School and taught K-12 physical education for five years at Alexandria Central in Alexandria Bay. A member of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYS AHPERD), Merkley has coached JV soccer and has been a volunteer assistant varsity girls' golf coach for eight years. She also served as a volunteer assistant women's golf coach at Le Moyne College in 2022.