Michelle Winkler

Michelle Winkler is the head women’s golf coach at CSUN and serves as a support staff member for Next Athletes and Nike Golf Camps.

Michelle Winkler was named head coach of the CSUN women’s golf program in November, 2022. She completed her season as head coach in 2023-24, leading the Matadors to three top five finishes along with four top-10 finishes. Freshman Nicole Tanoue became the first CSUN golfer since 2019 to earn All-Big West honors in 2024.

CSUN had an impressive season in 2023-24, setting several program records before finishing sixth at the 2024 Big West Women's Golf Championship, the best finish for the Matadors since 2019. The Matadors established a program record with a tournament score of 880 at the Timpanogos Collegiate Invitational in September, 2023. The Matadors 36-hole score of 588 in the same tournament is also a program record. In total, the 2023-24 Matadors reached the program 54-hole best list eight times this past season.

Individually, Tanoue finished with a team-leading 75.03 scoring average which ranks fourth in CSUN history. Sophomores Gracie Piar's scoring average (75.84) ranks seventh for a single season while Kim Turgut's 76.06 ranks eighth. Fellow freshman Meghan Paracuelles finished her debut season with a 77.57 scoring average while posting CSUN's lone individual win at the Utah Tech Trailblazer Invitational in February.

After being named interim head coach in January, 2022, she led CSUN to a trio of top-10 finishes during the spring. The Matadors posted a season-best fifth-place showing at the Kingsmill Intercollegiate in March. CSUN also finished in the top-10 at the Islander Classic (Feb. 21-22) and the Big West Championship (Apr. 10-12).

During the 2022-23 season, Winkler led the Matadors to a second place finish at the Zupas Trailblazer Invitational (Feb. 13-14) with freshman Gracie Piar claiming individual medalist honors at 4-under 140. CSUN also posted their best 18-hole team score since 2019 with a second round 299 at the Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational (March 9-11). The Matadors' tournament score of 612 ranks 10th in program history for 36 holes.

Winkler is a Class A PGA Professional, a Golf Channel GolfPass Coach, and a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher (2021-2023). She carries numerous certifications, which included Swing Catalyst Level 2, BodiTrak, Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Level 1, and Mike Adam’s BioSwingDynamics. Winkler came to CSUN from Cal State Fullerton where she served as the Titans’ volunteer assistant coach. Prior to her appointment at Fullerton, she spent six years (2015-2021) as an assistant golf professional at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Connecticut.

While at The Stanwich Club, she taught over 300 hours of individual lessons, group clinics and junior golf programs each year. Winkler created and co-hosted the “BioSwingDynamics Mastermind Group” which was a guided discussion group for female golf instructors while also creating the “Quarantine Coaching Hour” which contained interviews and exercises on YouTube.

Winkler also has extensive teaching experience at various golf clubs on the east coast. She has spent time teaching at the Jupiter Island Club in Hobe Sound, Fla. (2018-19), the Joey D Sports Training Center in Jupiter, Fla. (2016-17), the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (2014-16), the Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass. (2014-15) and Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, Conn. (2012-14).

A 2012 graduate of Xavier University, Winkler earned cum laude honors as a social sciences major (sport management). A four-year member of the Muskateer women’s golf team, she finished her career in 2012 by ranking third on the team with a career-best 77.6 scoring average. She was also recognized for the third time as a NGCA All-American Scholar as a senior. While in high school, Winkler was rated as the second-best Connecticut women's junior golfer for 2007 and was the runner-up in Connecticut's Girls Junior Championship the summer of 2007.