Caylyn McKinlay

Caylyn McKinlay is the head women’s golf coach at Southern Utah University and serves as a lead coach for Next Athletes’ Nike Golf Camps.

Caylyn Ponich, a 2024 graduate of Utah Valley University with a bachelor’s degree in Family Science, is excited to begin her journey as the Head Women’s Golf Coach at Southern Utah University. A Utah native, Caylyn grew up playing golf at Oakridge Country Club in Farmington, where she developed a passion for the game and honed her skills in competitive golf from the age of six. Over the years, she competed in numerous tournaments with the Utah Junior Golf Association, Utah PGA events, and national tournaments across the U.S. During her high school years at Davis High School, Caylyn was recruited by Coach Sue Nyhus to play for Utah Valley University, where she spent four years playing on the Women’s Golf Team. Over her collegiate career, she participated in 36 events and was part of a winning team that took home the 2024 Utah Tech Trailblazer Invitational trophy in St. George, Utah, during her senior year.

After graduating, Caylyn began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Utah Tech University in the fall of 2024, working under Coach Lindsey Orth. Caylyn thoroughly enjoyed her time at Utah Tech and is now thrilled to take the next step in her coaching career as the Head Women’s Golf Coach at Southern Utah University. Caylyn’s coaching philosophy is built around creating a team culture of commitment, work ethic, and continuous improvement. She aims to foster a supportive and disciplined environment where athletes are empowered to grow both as golfers and as individuals. Caylyn is dedicated to helping her players appreciate every step of their college golf journey, focusing on small improvements along the way as much as the larger successes. Her goal is to guide each player to become a confident, well-rounded individual who plays with purpose and an understanding of their goals, on and off the course.

As Head Coach, Caylyn is excited to build a program at Southern Utah University where players can reach their full potential in a positive and motivating environment, making the most of their time in college golf.

Outside of coaching, Caylyn and her fiancé, Brady McKinlay, who also played collegiate golf at Utah Valley University, plan to get married this summer. Brady, a native of Lacombe, Alberta, is currently pursuing his dream of becoming a professional golfer. Caylyn’s family has a rich background in athletics—her father was a quarterback at Utah State, her mother was a cheerleader at West Virginia, and her brother, Cole Ponich, is currently on the Men’s Golf Team at Brigham Young University and was crowned the Utah State Amateur Champion in the summer of 2024 at Ogden Country Club.