Juli Erekson enters her third season as the head women's golf coach at Utah Valley University.
Erekson was UVU's assistant coach in 2020-21 where she coached alongside her former head coach Sue Nyhus. Upon Nyhus' retirement at the end of the season, Erekson was named Nyhus' successor and UVU's new head coach.
Erekson, who previously spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Brigham Young University, formerly golfed collegiately for Nyhus at BYU. She has also golfed at the professional ranks, as she previously competed on the LPGA Futures Tour from 2008-2011.
“I knew Juli was special the first time I watched her play in a junior event on the East Coast (AJGA). She was paired with Paula Creamer and Juli played great that day,” Nyhus said. “She then accepted an offer to play for me and we enjoyed four very successful years together at BYU. Juli is truly a ‘Team’ player and she wants everyone around her to succeed. I’m thrilled to be working with her again and to have her on staff here at UVU.”
During the 2020-21 campaign as an assistant at UVU, Erekson helped the Wolverines crown their first individual WAC champion and inaugural NCAA qualifier in Victoria Estrada. Erekson helped Estrada come from behind to win the 2021 WAC Championship, as well as earn first team All-WAC honors in the process, and become UVU's first NCAA qualifier as Estrada took part at the 2021 Stanford Regional in Stanford, Calif.
Erekson spent a total of four seasons as an assistant coach at BYU after also being on the Cougars’ staff in 2012-13. During her time as an assistant at BYU, she helped lead the Cougars to a West Coast Conference championship in 2018 as well as both NCAA Regional and NCAA Championship appearances that season. Erekson also helped lead Brigham Young to a runner-up league finish in 2019 and a third-place conference finish in 2013. She also spent the 2015-16 season as a volunteer coach at Texas Tech in which she helped lead the Red Raiders to an NCAA Regional appearance that season.
Erekson grew up on the golf course, where her father and former UVU assistant coach Via Wightman worked as a Head Golf Professional at Holyoake County Club in Holyoake, Mass. Originally from Chicopee, Mass., Erekson then went on to play collegiately for Nyhus at BYU from 2004-2008. She played in all 12 tournaments as a freshman en route to being named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year that season. She then had 11 top-20 finishes over her sophomore and junior years and helped the Cougars to a 17th-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Championships. As a senior, she won the BYU Dixie Classic and earned first team All-Mountain West Conference accolades during both her junior and senior campaigns.
Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from BYU in 2008, Erekson then turned professional playing on the LPGA Futures Tour from 2008-2011. Her best finish came at the 2010 Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City Championship where she finished tied for seventh place. Since then, Erekson has furthered her golf education through the LPGA Teaching Division and Titleist Performance Institute. She is currently a golf instructor at Thanksgiving Point Golf Course, as well as the Thanksgiving Point PGA Junior League.
“I’m beyond excited to reunite with my coach, mentor, and friend,” Erekson said. “My four years with Sue under her tutelage were some of the best experiences in my life. I’m looking forward to working with her and the amazing group of ladies here at UVU and help continue to elevate the program to the next level.”
Erekson is married to Zac Erekson, who is the head football coach at Snow College and formerly played collegiate football at BYU. She currently resides in Mapleton with her husband and three children; Elizabeth, Zac, and Caz.
