At Harding
Sam Tandy was named Harding's first full-time golf coach in June 2025, taking oversight of both the men's and women's programs after a legendary collegiate playing career for the Bisons.
In his first full season at the helm in 2025-26, Tandy was voted the Great American Conference (GAC) Men's Golf Coach of the Year after guiding the Bisons to one of the most successful seasons in program history. Under his leadership, the Harding men set a school record for season winning percentage with a 119-21-1 mark (.850), won two tournament titles, and finished runner-up at the GAC Championship for the second consecutive year.
Tandy led the men's team to the No. 3 seed in the Central Region, where they placed 16th at the NCAA Central/Midwest Regional. Under his tutelage, junior Dennis Staykov earned GAC Player of the Year honors, won his second GAC individual championship, and became just the second PING All-American in program history (joining Tandy). The men's program also excelled in the classroom, earning GCAA Presidents Special Recognition with a team GPA above 3.50, alongside four Cobalt Golf All-America Scholars.
Tandy also led the Lady Bisons women's program to a stellar 2025-26 campaign, culminating in an NCAA postseason berth as the No. 10 seed in the Central Regional, where Harding finished 11th. The Lady Bisons posted a 116-51-1 record (.695)—the third-best winning percentage in school history—and logged a 308.0 team scoring average, the second-best single-season mark in program history. Four Lady Bisons earned both CSC Academic All-District and WGCA All-American Scholar honors under his direction.
Playing Career
During his collegiate career at Harding from 2020–24, Tandy consistently excelled as one of the premier golfers in NCAA Division II. He competed in 40 events and 116 rounds, finishing as the program's all-time leader in both career stroke average (72.24) and individual winning percentage (.832). Remarkably, 56 of his 116 career rounds (48%) were at or below par. He also placed second at the 2022 ASGA Match Play Championship.
Tandy's extensive playing accolades include being a two-time PING All-American, earning Third Team honors in 2023 and First Team distinction in 2024. He was a two-time PING All-Central Region selection, a three-time First Team All-GAC honoree, and was crowned the 2024 Great American Conference Player of the Year.
Academically, Tandy was one of the most decorated student-athletes in Harding history. He was named the 2024 CSC At-Large Academic All-American of the Year, the 2024 GAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and received the prestigious 2023 NCAA Elite 90 Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. He was also a three-time Academic All-GAC selection.
Education
Tandy graduated from Harding University in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in finance.
Family
Tandy is married to the former Devan Floyd of North Little Rock, Arkansas.
