North Carolina A&T makes historic coaching hire
North Carolina A&T has made a historic hire that looks to further grow the trajectory of their golf program. The institution announced Tuesday the hiring of Mesha Levister as the new director of both the men's and women's golf programs. With the hire, Levister becomes the first female head coach of a men's varsity sport at A&T and the first woman to lead the women's golf program.
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'I am excited to, first off, be coming back to my great home state,' Levister said in a statement. 'That's always the first thing in mind, to be close to family and close to friends and in a great place – the Triad area. The Triad area is a great place for golf, too, so in all honesty, I'm honored and incredibly excited to join North Carolina A&T.'
North Carolina A&T Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton III also commented on her hire, saying, 'Mesha Levister has established herself as a pioneer throughout her life and certainly in the world of golf. We look forward to having her join our team in Aggie Athletics. She knows golf, the area, and is passionate about academic and athletic accomplishments.'
Levister's resume boasts a remarkable legacy in the golfing world. From starting her career at North Carolina Central as the lone female on the men's golf team and later serving as a coach, to earning the 2004 Virginia Women's Amateur title as the first African American to achieve the feat, Levister has consistently broken boundaries. After turning professional in 2006, she spent three seasons on the LPGA Futures Tour (now the Epson Tour), competing globally and securing multiple top-10 finishes.
She transitioned to coaching with notable success. During a three-year stint at Prairie View A&M University (2022-2025), Levister earned SWAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year honors in 2023 and led her teams to significant academic and athletic achievements. Her tenure there saw nine players receive All-SWAC honors while maintaining a high standard in academics, with the men's team consistently achieving a GPA of 3.1 or higher.
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