Jacob Wilner, one of longest tenured and most successful coaches for the Nevada Wolf Pack, is heading back to his alma mater.

The long-time Nevada men's golf coach has accepted that same position at Coastal Carolina, where Wilner played from 1997-2001. Wilner has been Nevada's head coach the last 12 seasons, leading the Wolf Pack to four straight NCAA Regional berths. In a letter to Wolf Pack fans issued Friday, he thanked Reno for its support during his tenure.

"What a fun ride the last 14 years have been!" Wilner wrote. "I'm reaching out to let you know that I have accepted a position at my alma mater Coastal Carolina University. I want to express my utmost gratitude for the support that the Reno community has shown me, my family and this program. There is no way we would be where we are today without you. To all my players, thank you for your hard work and dedication to your program. You put Nevada men's golf on the map and set multiple records for which you should be proud. I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Mike Paul, our assistant coach. I'm grateful for your friendship and professionalism you've shown to our student-athletes. My wife and I will miss Nevada and Reno but are excited for the next chapter of our loves."

Wilner came to Nevada in 2008 as an assistant coach who helped the Wolf Pack men's and women's teams. He was elevated to head coach in 2010 and helped build Nevada into an national program out of the ashes of an NCAA investigation into Wolf Pack golf following major infractions by then-head coach Rich Merritt. After some difficulties early in Wilner's tenure, he eventually made men's golf one of the top programs on campus on a year-in, year-out basis.

During his tenure, Nevada reached four NCAA Regional berths (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) and helped four individuals qualify for NCAA Regionals (Scott Smith, Kevin Lucas, Grant Booth). Stephen Osborne nearly qualified for the national championship on an individual level during Wilner's tenure, falling on the third hole of a sudden death playoff in a 2019 NCAA Regional.

The Wolf Pack set numerous records during Wilner's time leading the program, including a Wolf Pack best scoring average this season when it had seven top-three finishes in 12 tournament, including a win at the Husky Invitational. Nevada was ranked 32nd in the final GolfStat rankings at the conclusion of the regular season. Wilner's 2019-20 team previously held the single-season scoring average record before this year's team topped the mark. During Wilner's Nevada tenure, the Wolf Pack posted eight of the program's 15 best seasons in terms of team scoring average, including each of the top-five spots over the last five years.

Nevada won seven conference tournaments under Wilner, including two more with him as an assistant coach. It also had nine individual tournament winners, plus two more with him as an assistant coach. Eight golfers earned all-conference honors under Wilner, including two more with him as an assistant coach. Those players combined for 16 all-league honors. Later in his Wolf Pack tenure, Wilner thrived at adding transfers to his team to keep it among the top Mountain West schools.

Prior to his time at Nevada, Wilner was a standout golfer at Coastal Carolina, where he graduated in 2001. He was a four-year member of the program who earned All-Big South Conference honors from 1998-2000. Wilner averaged 72.3 strokes per round in 1999 and set Coastal Carolina's 54-hole scoring record (205) while he helped the Chanticleers rank fourth in the nation in scoring average in 1999. His wife also graduated from Coastal Carolina.

"I'm not just leaving Reno for any job," Wilner told Nevada Sports Net. "I'm leaving here to take the job that I've always wanted. I met my wife there. My wife graduated from there. I graduated from there. It's a place that's always been close to our hearts. It's been a great 14-year ride, and I just want to thank everybody in the community for everything that they've done for for me, for my family and for this golf program."

Matt Hogue, who has served as Coastal Carolina's athletic director since 2014, said he was excited to bring Wilner back to Coastal Carolina. Wilner was named the Mountain West coach of the year for the first time this most recent season.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jacob and his family back to Teal Nation," Hogue said in a news release. "He has produced a consistent track record of head coaching success, most recently exemplified with his being named coach of the year in his conference. As an alum, he uniquely understands and appreciates the value of our program and is passionate about leading Chanticleer men's golf to championship heights. We look forward to getting to work and writing the next chapter of our program."

Wilner spent a year as a lead instructor at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head, S.C. He also worked at golf courses throughout Southern California and Myrtle Beach S.C., including three years as an assistant golf professional at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles from 2003-06 and a stint as an assistant instructor at the Golf Digest Schools in 2003 in Myrtle Beach.

He will return to the Myrtle Beach area as Coastal Carolina is located in Conway, S.C., is 15 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach, which is renowned for its great golf courses. The area also offers 12 months of golf, something not afforded at Nevada, which can have harsh winters. Wilner replaces Jim Garren, who resigned to pursue other coaching opportunities May 12. Garren led Coastal Carolina for five seasons, which included three NCAA Regional berths and a 2018 Sun Belt Conference title.

Wilner was Nevada's fourth-longest tenured active head coach behind diving coach Jian Li You, women's track and field coach Shantel Twiggs and cross country coach Kirk Elias.

Wolf Pack athletics is currently being run by active athletic director Bill Johnson, who took over the position May 1 following the firing of Doug Knuth. Nevada will likely wait until a permanent AD is hired before replacing Wilner. The AD hire is expected to be made within the next six weeks. Three of the five starters from last season's Nevada men's golf team are eligible to return in 2022-23, including Peyton Callens, Trey Davis and Michael Sarro.

"I feel like I'm leaving Nevada for the right reasons," Wilner told NSN. "I'm very happy with what we accomplished here and I will always be following Nevada athletics, just doing it now from the East Coast."

©    | Portions are ©   Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.