SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga University Athletics announces the retirement of Brad Rickel, the longtime women's golf head coach, after an accomplished collegiate coaching career spanning nearly three decades.
 
"It has been a true honor to serve as the Women's Golf Coach at Gonzaga University," Rickel said. "The university community has made this an exceptional place to work, and I am deeply grateful for the dedicated and passionate individuals in athletics who have supported our program over the years. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the many donors and supporters whose generosity has helped our program grow and succeed. Over the course of 29 years in collegiate coaching, working with student-athletes has been an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience. While it is difficult to say goodbye, I am confident that this is the right time for me to begin a new chapter of retirement. Gonzaga Women's Golf is well-positioned for continued growth and will undoubtedly keep making a positive impact on the lives of young student-athletes. The future is bright, and I look forward to following the program's success as a proud supporter."
 
Rickel returned to Gonzaga in 2007 and guided the women's golf program through the most successful stretch in its history. Under his leadership, the Bulldogs won the 2021 West Coast Conference Championship, made three straight NCAA Regional team appearances from 2013-15 and produced the program's first NCAA Championships appearances.
 
During his Gonzaga tenure, Rickel coached WCC individual champions Victoria Fallgren in 2012, Alice Kim in 2014 and Ciera Min in 2016. The Zags also earned NCAA Regional individual berths in 2016, 2017 and 2023, while continuing to establish themselves as a postseason contender in the WCC and nationally. Rickel was named WCC Coach of the Year five times, receiving the honor in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2021.
 
Across his combined head coaching career at Gonzaga and the University of Idaho, Rickel earned eight conference coach of the year awards, led teams to four conference championships and guided teams and individuals to 13 NCAA Regional appearances and three NCAA Finals appearances. His programs recorded 43 team tournament wins and 40 individual tournament wins, while producing 68 all-conference selections, 45 All-America Scholar-Athlete selections and 84 conference all-academic selections.
 
"Brad has given so much to Gonzaga women's golf, and we are filled with gratitude for the time, energy and care he has poured into the program," Gonzaga Director of Athletics Chris Standiford said. "We can now reflect on the program he helped build, the championship mentality he established during his career at the conference and NCAA level. We are grateful for all he has done and look forward to celebrating him and his family as he closes a remarkable coaching career."
 
Rickel began his GU coaching career as an assistant women's and men's golf coach in 1997 before serving as head men's and women's golf coach in 1998-99. He then led the men's and women's programs at Idaho from 1999-2007, winning Big West championships with the men in 2000 and women in 2001, and a Western Athletic Conference women's title in 2007. At Idaho, Rickel coached three players of year and two individual conference champions, and led the Vandals to seven NCAA Regional appearances and one NCAA Finals individual appearance.
 
In recognition of Rickel's retirement, Gonzaga Athletics is pleased to announce Victoria Fallgren-Murphy as the next head coach of the women's golf program effective June 2. Fallgren-Murphy, a Gonzaga alumna and former standout student-athlete, just finished her 12th year as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs.
 
"We are excited to name Victoria Fallgren-Murphy as the next leader of our women's golf program," Standiford said. "Victoria has been an important part of Gonzaga women's golf as both a student-athlete and coach, and her passion for Gonzaga, recruiting ability and investment in our student-athletes make her the right person to lead the program into the future."
 
Fallgren-Murphy has assisted with the day-to-day coaching and operations of the program while coordinating the team's recruiting efforts. Between her four years as a player and her time on staff, she has been part of the program's rise into a perennial postseason contender. As a senior, she helped lead the Bulldogs to their first NCAA Regional appearance, and as an assistant coach she has helped Gonzaga return to the postseason while continuing the program's growth at the conference and national levels.
 
Under Fallgren-Murphy's guidance as an assistant coach, Gonzaga produced its first NCAA Championships appearances and continued to build one of the strongest eras in program history. The Zags improved their team scoring average during her first five seasons on staff, and in September 2014, Gonzaga was ranked No. 21 in the nation by Golfweek, the highest ranking in program history. More recently, the program added to that foundation with Grace Lee graduating as the all-time leader in career scoring average and the team setting a single-season tournament scoring average record.
 
"I am grateful to Chris Standiford and Shannon Strahl for the opportunity and trust to lead the Gonzaga women's golf program into the new Pac-12 era," Fallgren-Murphy said. "I have been here at Gonzaga for 17 years and have treasured my transformative experience both as a student-athlete and now coach. I am also grateful for the blueprint and example Brad Rickel has provided throughout his tremendous career, and I look forward to continuing his legacy of excellence in the years to come. I want to thank my family for their unending support as I continue to pursue my passion for coaching and leading this program. The future of Gonzaga women's golf is bright, and I'm ready and excited to pour everything I have into this next chapter."
 
Prior to coaching, Fallgren-Murphy was one of the top golfers in Gonzaga history. She became the first Bulldog to win the West Coast Conference title in 2012 and helped lead Gonzaga to four team tournament wins as a senior in 2012-13. Individually, the Lakewood, Calif., native recorded two tournament wins, 10 top-five finishes and 18 top-10 finishes during her career. She was a three-time All-WCC selection and remains tied for the fifth-lowest round in program history with a 67 in her collegiate debut at the Bulldog and Eagle Invitational in 2009, a tournament she won by four strokes.
 
Fallgren-Murphy also qualified for the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship three times and the U.S. Amateur twice, advancing to match play at the Public Links Championship in 2010 and 2012. She won the Washington State Mid-Amateur in 2017, 2018 and 2020, and was named Washington Mid-Amateur Player of the Year in each of those years. She also was a USGA Mid-Amateur qualifier in 2017 and 2021.
 
Fallgren-Murphy earned a bachelor's degree in Classical Civilizations from Gonzaga in 2013 and a master's degree in Sport and Athletic Administration from Gonzaga in 2015.
 
"I am excited that Victoria will be stepping into the head coach role," Rickel said. "Her loyalty, dedication, and experience as an assistant coach have prepared her exceptionally well, and I am confident that under her leadership, the program will continue to compete at the national level while developing outstanding student-athletes."