Denny Duncan is serving as the first head coach in Grace women's golf history, beginning competition in the fall of 2015. Duncan rapidly built a dynamic program from scratch. Grace has shown dramatic improvement every year on the course while developing a culture of deep relationships and growth off the course.
He has led Grace to seven straight NCCAA national championships, including six top-three finishes at the national tournament. He has coached six All-Conference winners and 11 NCCAA All-American performers. Duncan's teams have won 16 tournaments over the past four seasons to go along with 16 individual medalist honors.
In just its fifth year of existence in 2019-20, the Lancers established itself at the national level. Duncan led Grace to the NCCAA national championship. Duncan was named the NCCAA National Coach of the Year as a result, helping two players earn All-American status as well. Grace also achieved its first NAIA national ranking after its storybook season.
The Lancers reached the peak again, winning the 2024 NCCAA national championship. Grace did so in dramatic fashion, rallying from behind to beat conference foe Bethel in the final round. Duncan earned his second NCCAA National Coach of the Year award and helped his players nab three All-American plaques.
During the 2020-21 season, Grace earned its highest national ranking in program history. The Lancers were ranked No. 17 and maintained a top-25 ranking throughout the majority of the season. The Lancers continued to be ranked throughout much of the 2021-22 season and were the national runners-up at the 2021 NCCAA Championships.
Grace was again a national runner-up at the 2022 NCCAA Championships. The Lancers rewrote much of the record books during the 2022-23 campaign, including the top 18-hole score and the No. 1 and No. 2 54-hole scores in team history.
In Grace's first season of collegiate competition, Duncan led the Lancers to a sixth-place showing in the Crossroads League Championships despite having a roster of primarily freshmen. Duncan also saw one freshman (Lauren Keiser) qualify for NCCAA Nationals.
The 2017-18 season saw a number of firsts. At the league championships, Grace's combined score of 982 was a program record for three rounds, 82 strokes better than the previous year's championship total. The Lancers finished just four strokes out of second place and had their first All-League honoree (Anna Marshall) as well as having two players finish in the top-five on the individual leaderboard (Lauren Keiser - 3rd, Sydney Abbott - 5th).
In 2018-19, the Lancers rise to the national level reached a crescendo. Grace qualified for NCCAA Nationals as a team for the first time in just its fourth year of existence. The team placed sixth at the national tournament, held in Florida.
Duncan's daughter Elena was a four-year letter winner and NAIA National Qualifier for Malone University’s women’s golf team. She currently works as a golf professional at Crystal Downs Golf Club in Frankfort, Michigan.
“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to work with student-athletes who love competition and want to live in a way that honors Jesus Christ,” Duncan said. “I see the game of golf as a lifelong pursuit that mirrors our walk with Christ. I also know the industry of golf has many opportunities for young women, so I look forward to helping the ladies further their goals in golf.”
Duncan played collegiately at Grace from 1976-80. He was a four-year letter winner in golf and also earned two letters in wrestling.
Duncan has worked in education as a teacher and administrator for 35 years, including 20 years in adjunct work at Grace College.
He attended high school in Canton, Ohio (Oakwood).
