Cindy Bodmer named SIU Women’s Golf coach

Cindy (Corn) Bodmer has been named the next women’s golf coach at Southern Illinois University, SIU Director of Golf Justin Fetcho announced Friday.

“This is such an exciting day for Saluki women’s golf! We could not be more thrilled to announce Cindy (Corn) Bodmer as the next SIU Women’s Golf Coach,” Fetcho said. “Cindy’s passion and enthusiasm to help young people is second to none and tie that in with her successful coaching career at Rend Lake and you have an amazing combination. Cindy has a strong work ethic and I know through that work ethic and her past experiences, she will do an amazing job with our women’s golf program.”

Bodmer, who completed her graduate work at SIU, comes back to Carbondale from Pensacola, Florida, where she was an instructor at the Pensacola Golf Center.

“It’s a great honor and challenge being the new women’s head coach,” Bodmer said. “I want to focus on the nine players we currently have on the roster and make sure they have a great experience and become a graduate of SIUC.”

Bodmer said she’s ready to start the journey.

“There’s a quote in the hallway on my way to my office by Thomas Whittman that Salukis need to constantly strive to better themselves each and every day-both academically and athletically,” she said. “I never want to lose sight of our mission as coaches. I was more nervous meeting the players the first day that anything else but now three weeks into the season,I know I made the right choice. I enjoy our practices and look forward to our fall season.”

Bodmer, a Destin, Florida, native, isn’t a stranger to southern Illinois as she started the women’s golf program at Rend Lake College in 1999 and spent 28 total years at RLC as a coach and professor until she retired in 2017.

“After retiring five years ago from Rend Lake College, I moved back to Florida and I had been working at Pensacola Golf Center by Bubba Watson teaching and working his driving range,” she said. “I had the opportunity to work under two professionals that had different teaching philosophies so I learned so much more about the golf swing.”

In 17 seasons at the helm, Bodmer helped lead the Warriors to 11 regional titles, including 15 NJCAA National Championship appearances where Rend Lake finished as high as fourth and posted multiple fifth-place finishes. The Warriors also made nine NJCAA All-Academic Teams during Bodmer’s tenure as she won five Region XXIV Coach of the Year awards.

“When the call came from Coach Fetcho I wasn’t thinking about going back into coaching but after several phone calls my husband and I decided this would be a great opportunity,” she said.”I love winning and competition and SIUC Women’s Golf has been very successfully and I want to continue with the success built by former coaches.”

Bodmer taught health, physical education, nutrition and coaching classes, and was an assistant women’s basketball coach early in her Warrior tenure.

Bodmer received her B.S. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (’88) and her M.S. from SIU (’95).

Bodmer’s mother, Mary O’Neal, was the first LPGA professional from the state of Mississippi.

The Salukis start the season Sunday at Missouri State University for the MSU/Payne Stewart Invitational at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Missouri.

Rend Lake College

1999-2000

Region XXIV Champion (6th, NJCAA Championships)