FARMINGTON, Utah — After guiding the team to a conference title and NCAA regional berth, Sacramento State's Kamden Brakel has been named Big Sky Conference Men's Golf Coach of the Year for the 2025-26 season, the league office announced today. 
 
This marks his fourth Coach of the Year title from the Big Sky while serving as the head man for the Hornets. The honor is voted on by the league's head coaches. 
 
Sacramento State claimed the Big Sky title behind a tournament-record 23-under par total last week at Wigwam Golf Resort. The Hornets shot 290-270-281-841 to break the previous tournament record by one stroke and the school postseason record by eight strokes. That finish put them nine shots clear of the next closest team in the standings.
 
The victory also marked back-to-back titles, as Sacramento State won the 2024 championship before the league's one-year hiatus. In total, the Hornets have captured six Big Sky men's golf title since 1996.
 
On the individual side, the title came down to a playoff between a pair of teammates, with Sacramento State's Gabriel Smith and Jai Bahl both finishing competition at 9-under. Ultimately, on Hole No. 1, Smith secured a birdie to take home the league's top prize. That marked his first collegiate victory.
 
It was announced on Wednesday that Sacramento State will compete in the Corvallis, Oregon Regional at Trysting Tree Golf Club. Competition will run from Monday, May 18 to Wednesday, May 20.
 
The team will enter the postseason with a scoring average of 287.47 strokes per round which ranks as the best in program history. That includes playing 14 of the 30 rounds at our below par this season. The scoring record was previously held by the 2021-22 team which averaged 288.03.