Southern Illinois Director of Golf Justin Fetcho announced the second signing for the men’s golf program for next season.
Parkland College sophomore Dain Richie (New Berlin, Ill.) is bringing his talents to Carbondale next fall as he’s competed for the Cobras the last two seasons.
“Putting the pen to paper for my commitment is a massive relief off of my shoulders,” Richie said. “It has provided peace of mind, something that coming from the JUCO route you do not always have. Some weeks you think you’ll be playing at the highest level and other weeks you may think that you’re done after that season. It has been a constant grind the last two years so signing to an established and successful program like SIU becomes that much more rewarding.”
Fetcho said he’s ready to have Richie on campus.
“We are very excited to add Dain Richie to the Saluki family,” Fetcho said. “We have had a lot of success with bringing some of the top JUCO players into our program over the past several years and watching them continue to grow and flourish here at SIU. We expect Dain to be the same. It is always nice to have some of the top players in the state of Illinois want to stay within the borders and continue to build something special here at SIU.”
When it came to what Richie enjoyed about Southern, there were several items on his list.
The campus, the men’s golf program and a few alumni were key to his wanting to be a Saluki.
“I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of SIU when I came to Carbondale for my visit,” he said. “The campus had an incredible feel to it, something that is very important to me. It was gorgeous and full of character. As for the golf program, I am signing up for everything that I could’ve asked out of a program.
“Coach Fetcho has an incredible resume playing and coaching across the country at some premier golf schools. His knowledge and connections are bound to make me a better person and a better golfer. SIU also has a history of developing elite golfers that can play at a high level and I have been fortunate to have developed personal connections with some of these players such as Jake Erickson and Luke Gannon.”
Richie had a successful first season at Parkland, earning NJCAA DII First-Team All-American, NJCAA First-Team All-Academic, and a spot on the MWAC All-Conference Team.
In 15 collegiate events, Richie has 12 top-10 finishes. During high school, Richie was named the 2021 USA Today Central Illinois Male Golfer of the Year and was also the New Berlin High School Valedictorian his senior year.
“We feel like his best golf is still in front of him,” Fetcho said. “He came onto the golf scene later than most and has constantly improved his game each and every year. Being a First-Team All-American during his first season at Parkland is a great accomplishment, but equally important is his efforts in the classroom. Dain was the valedictorian of his high school and has been a 4.0 student during his entire college career. He embodies what it means to be a student-athlete. Dain will be a great contributor on the golf course, in the classroom and in the southern Illinois community.”
Richie said he’s already looking forward to the next step in his career.
“I am blessed to be able to call myself a Saluki athlete and am extremely excited to be surrounded by other like-minded individuals,” he said. “To be coached and pushed to my limits at the D1 level is something that I have always dreamed about. I can’t wait to develop lasting relationships with the golf guys and other Saluki athletes. Go Dawgs!”
Parkland College sophomore Dain Richie (New Berlin, Ill.) is bringing his talents to Carbondale next fall as he’s competed for the Cobras the last two seasons.
“Putting the pen to paper for my commitment is a massive relief off of my shoulders,” Richie said. “It has provided peace of mind, something that coming from the JUCO route you do not always have. Some weeks you think you’ll be playing at the highest level and other weeks you may think that you’re done after that season. It has been a constant grind the last two years so signing to an established and successful program like SIU becomes that much more rewarding.”
Fetcho said he’s ready to have Richie on campus.
“We are very excited to add Dain Richie to the Saluki family,” Fetcho said. “We have had a lot of success with bringing some of the top JUCO players into our program over the past several years and watching them continue to grow and flourish here at SIU. We expect Dain to be the same. It is always nice to have some of the top players in the state of Illinois want to stay within the borders and continue to build something special here at SIU.”
When it came to what Richie enjoyed about Southern, there were several items on his list.
The campus, the men’s golf program and a few alumni were key to his wanting to be a Saluki.
“I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of SIU when I came to Carbondale for my visit,” he said. “The campus had an incredible feel to it, something that is very important to me. It was gorgeous and full of character. As for the golf program, I am signing up for everything that I could’ve asked out of a program.
“Coach Fetcho has an incredible resume playing and coaching across the country at some premier golf schools. His knowledge and connections are bound to make me a better person and a better golfer. SIU also has a history of developing elite golfers that can play at a high level and I have been fortunate to have developed personal connections with some of these players such as Jake Erickson and Luke Gannon.”
Richie had a successful first season at Parkland, earning NJCAA DII First-Team All-American, NJCAA First-Team All-Academic, and a spot on the MWAC All-Conference Team.
In 15 collegiate events, Richie has 12 top-10 finishes. During high school, Richie was named the 2021 USA Today Central Illinois Male Golfer of the Year and was also the New Berlin High School Valedictorian his senior year.
“We feel like his best golf is still in front of him,” Fetcho said. “He came onto the golf scene later than most and has constantly improved his game each and every year. Being a First-Team All-American during his first season at Parkland is a great accomplishment, but equally important is his efforts in the classroom. Dain was the valedictorian of his high school and has been a 4.0 student during his entire college career. He embodies what it means to be a student-athlete. Dain will be a great contributor on the golf course, in the classroom and in the southern Illinois community.”
Richie said he’s already looking forward to the next step in his career.
“I am blessed to be able to call myself a Saluki athlete and am extremely excited to be surrounded by other like-minded individuals,” he said. “To be coached and pushed to my limits at the D1 level is something that I have always dreamed about. I can’t wait to develop lasting relationships with the golf guys and other Saluki athletes. Go Dawgs!”
