Sugg would then head to practice with a fresh perspective but would remind her team that Dr. Nelson was looking out for them, "I used to tell them once I got to work, and I say you're so lucky I had breakfast with my grandfather today because he got me off the ledge,” Sugg said. “All those moments were so special."

And in what can only be described as a moment of serendipity, the first tournament to which Sugg took her team was hosted on the same golf course she played her first ever junior golf tournament when she was nine years old. Maybe even sweeter was the fact that her grandfather was right there by her side, cheering her on as she coached her team.

Coaching proved to be her reset, the proper next chapter of her life. After growing up as a witness to the impact that Dr. Nelson had on his students, Sugg knew that she desired to do the same at Richmond. She was an integral part of bringing competitive collegiate golf to Virginia, and her work as a coach was quickly rewarded when she was named the CAA Coach of the Year in 2002, just one year into her coaching tenure. She went on to serve as the men's golf coach, before moving into more leadership roles in 2005.

Sugg climbed the sports administrative ladder, starting as an Assistant Athletic Director and then growing into her current role at the university, serving as the Deputy Director of Athletics for policy and sports management, the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) and Chief of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Sugg's career has now brought her to this full-circle moment, as she has been around the world and found herself back home again. Less than an hour away from where she grew up, Sugg is raising her son alongside her husband Paul McRae – a PGA of America teaching professional who also happened to be her swing coach – while simultaneously mentoring the next generation of athletes.

She has a lifetime of achievements worth celebrating, which all came to a head this past September as Sugg was one of four members inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame as a part of their 37th-anniversary celebration.

In her speech, Sugg recounted the warm memories of her grandfather, saying, "My grandfather, golf partner, and biggest fan, Dr. James C. Nelson, instilled in me a love of the game and empowered me to always dream big, is smiling from heaven."

Women's History Month: The LaRee Sugg Story

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