BABSON PARK, Mass.—After leading the men's program to its most successful stretch in school history and overseeing the start of women's golf at Babson College, head coach Jeff Page announced that he will retire following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season on Friday. 

The most decorated men's golf coach in Babson history, Page led the Beavers to five NCAA Championship appearances and into the top five of the national rankings while lowering the team scoring average by nearly 40 strokes over the last 13 years. In addition to his success with the men, he has helped the Babson women quickly become one of the top teams in the northeast region earning the program's first national ranking and conference championship over their first three seasons. 

This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life," said Page. "It has been an incredible honor to work with the men and women in the golf program. I have enjoyed seeing them develop over their time at Babson and proud of the successful people they have become. I hope the student-athletes I've coached over the last 14 years have learned as much from me as I have learned from them." 

Hired as an assistant coach in 2012, Page took over as Babson's head men's golf coach in 2013 and quickly helped the program become one of the best in the region. The Beavers captured four consecutive New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) titles from 2014-17 and made three straight NCAA Division III Championship appearances, which included finishing 25th in 2017, when he earned the first of four Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Region I Coach of the Year awards. 

Babson broke into the Bushnell Golfweek Division III poll for the first time in school history at No. 22 on October 19, 2018, and finished the 2018-19 season with four tournament victories and a 299.00 team scoring average, which was an improvement of nearly 32 shots from the end of the 2012-13 campaign. Page's 2019-20 squad was even better, winning four times in seven fall events, rising as high as 20th in the national poll and finishing with a 292.21 scoring average before seeing the year cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

After the team was unable to compete in 2020-21, Page guided the Beavers to a historic 2021-22 campaign that culminated with the program's highest finish (T-12th) at the NCAA Division III Championship. The Green and White opened the season with five consecutive tournament victories to rise as high as No. 3 in the Golfweek Bushnell poll and finished no worse than third in any of its eight regular season events on the way to concluding the season with a 292.41 scoring average. 

Page collected the first of three straight GCAA Region I Coach of the Year awards in 2022 and four players earned GCAA All-America laurels, including the Beavers' first first-team selection in Nicholas Gianelos '22. 

"Under Jeff's leadership, our men's and women's golf programs have reached unprecedented heights," commented Babson Pamela P. and Brian M. Barefoot Associate Vice President for Athletics and Athletics Advancement Mike Lynch. "From leading the men to conference titles and NCAA Championship appearances to overseeing the launch and early success of our women's program, Jeff's commitment, hard work and vision have helped Babson become one of the premier programs in Division III. 

"We couldn't be more grateful for Jeff's contributions to Babson and are excited to celebrate him through his final season."
 
The Babson men have consistently been ranked in the top 20 over the last three seasons and narrowly missed earning at-large bids to the NCAA Championship in both 2023 and 2024. This fall, the Green and White followed up a runner-up finish at Middlebury's Duke Nelson Invitational by winning the Williams Invitational for the third time since 2021, and are currently 34th in the Scoreboard Division III computer rankings. 

Over 13 seasons, Page's athletes garnered 11 All-America and 25 all-region awards while accounting for the 12 best career scoring averages and the top 25 single-season stroke averages in program history. 

In addition to leading the Babson men to new heights, Page has led the women's program to tremendous growth since their debut in the fall of 2023. The Beavers improved their team scoring average by 16 strokes from 2023-24 to 2024-25, captured a pair of tournament titles and made their debut in the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) poll last October, rising as high as No. 13. 

Additionally, they concluded last season at No. 26 in Scoreboard computer rankings. 

The Green and White captured the inaugural Colonial Women's Golf Conference (CWGC) Championship in October as four players garnered all-conference accolades, and finished the fall ranked 21st in the Scoreboard computer rankings and 23rd in the WGCA national poll. 

A national search for Babson's next men's and women's golf coach will begin in the spring. 

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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT JEFF PAGE

"Over the years I have been lucky enough to compete against Jeff both as a coach and as a player.  Our teams have battled each other at various tournaments over the years, and we as players have also competed in various Mass State Opens over the years. 

"Jeff is a fantastic coach, always putting the player first.  He had a great knack for putting the player at ease during a high-pressure situation and allowing them to play their best.  Being a good player himself, he was able to relate to what they were going through.  I think that helps a lot when competing at this level.

"Jeff has had a good amount of success at Taconic and Williams over the years.  His team always played well here and I think that is in part because he enjoyed the course so much.  His passion for the game carried over to the team and because of that he built a solid program. 

"I will miss seeing Jeff at various events. We always had good conversation and he was always a fun, positive person to be around."

-Josh Hillman, Williams College head men's golf coach/Head Golf Professional at Taconic Golf Club

"Jeff has been a great colleague, competitor, voice of reason and reliable friend in the college ranks of Division III for these past 13-plus years! He is one of just three or four coaches in the D3 world that oversee both men and women's golf programs and have them both ranked, perennially, in the top 25. That's no easy feat!  

"Jeff's richly deserved retirement is a loss for Babson golf, the NCAA and our coaching fraternity. It's hard to replace his leadership, knowledge, and experience in our ranks. When you lose a veteran coach, like my friend Jeff, it sends ripples across the entire golf coaching world. I wish Jeff the best in retirement. He will be missed."

-Jim Owen, Oglethorpe University head men's and women's golf coach