Shelby DeVore ’18 Preaches Commitment and Tiger Pride

For Shelby DeVore ’18, coaching Trinity Women’s Golf is more than a job—it’s a mission to inspire excellence and unparalleled dedication in every player.

DeVore has completed four successful seasons as Trinity’s head women’s golf coach. During her tenure, Trinity has qualified for the NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championships and won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) team title each year.

Her peers have taken notice of DeVore’s impact, honoring her as the SCAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year four times running.

A former standout Tiger golfer herself, DeVore believes the success of her teams comes down to one word: commitment.

“We talk a lot about commitment. When we are on the golf course, we want to commit to every swing and every shot. We also want to be committed to our team and to ourselves,” says DeVore, who also serves as Trinity’s assistant director of golf. “We give out a Pride and Heart Award after every tournament, and it goes out to the player who shows pride in their game and their school and has put in the work. I preach to the team that every time we show up to practice, qualifying, tournaments, or an event where we represent Trinity Women's Golf, we want to do it with pride and heart.”

This mindset has led to outstanding team accomplishments, including a fifth consecutive and ninth overall SCAC Championship in May. Lauren Huddleston ’27 continued the tradition of individual excellence as the fourth Tiger in a row to take the individual SCAC title. The Tigers entered the NCAA Championships ranked 17th nationally, with Jessica Mason ’26 shining bright, tying for 12th individually and earning Women’s Golf Association All-America honors for the second consecutive time and third overall. She was also named the SCAC Player of the Year for the second straight time. Mason’s accolades join those of teammates Alejandra Sanchez de la Fuente Molino ’25 and Kiona Hsiu ’24, proof of the sustained high caliber of talent on the roster.

DeVore isn’t solely focused on success on the course. Her players excel in the classroom too, earning Women’s Golf Coaches Association Scholar All-American and SCAC Honor Roll distinctions, underscoring the balance of academics and athletics DeVore champions.

DeVore, a native of The Woodlands, Texas, attended The Woodlands College Park High School. Growing up, she dreamed of playing college golf. She chose Trinity for its unbeatable location, beautiful campus, and top-tier academics, but it was the influence of Coach Carla Spenkoch that truly sealed the deal.

“The moment I stepped onto campus and met with Coach Carla, I knew I wanted to call Trinity home for the next four years,” DeVore recalls.

Spenkoch coached the Tigers for 23 years, from 1998 to 2021, and played a huge role in DeVore’s development. DeVore was named the SCAC Freshman of the Year in 2015 and garnered All-SCAC honors for three years. She was selected for the SCAC 30th Anniversary Women’s Golf Team in the summer of 2021.

“I owe my career to Coach Carla. She always encouraged me to go into coaching. Although it wasn't what I pursued right after college, it is what I now believe I am meant to do for the rest of my life,” DeVore says.

DeVore’s passion for sports leadership was ignited in the classroom by academic mentors as well. In fact, she says she wanted to pursue a career in sports because of Jacob Tingle ’95, Ed.D., business administration professor and sport management program director, who taught “Leadership in Sport.” According to DeVore, it was the best class she took at Trinity because she learned what kind of leader she was and how to work with other types of people.

A busy student-athlete, DeVore served as the editor of the Mirage for three years. She was president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a program assistant for Intramurals, a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and a sports reporter for the Trinitonian. DeVore was an intern for the Valero Alamo Bowl, an assistant director at Camp Olympia in Trinity, Texas, and participated in the “Sport in England” course with Tingle and head men’s soccer coach Paul McGinlay.

In addition to Spenkoch and Tingle, DeVore cites Katharine Martin, retired Campus Publications adviser, and education professor Heather Haynes Smith ’97, M’98, Ph.D., as integral to her undergraduate journey, which culminated in a bachelor's degree in communication with a minor in sport management.

Beyond Trinity, DeVore directs the prestigious Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas, a biennial global tournament bringing top amateur golfers from 20 countries to compete in team and individual events.

In 2023, she earned her Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Certification, adding to her LPGA membership since 2022 and further cementing her status as a leader in women’s golf.

For DeVore, one aspect that makes Trinity stand out is how everyone cheers for each other’s success.

“I can't imagine having a better college experience,” DeVore says. “The location of Trinity and its facilities are like no other. Our academics and sports are prestigious. Though, as Dr. Vanessa Beasley said to us in a meeting recently, the thing that sets Trinity apart is the people, and she is right. We have professors, advisers, administrators, and coaches who want to help our students succeed in academics, extracurricular activities, and beyond their time at Trinity.”