The 2016-17 season marks the fourth for assistant coach Lauren Dobashi, who joined the Stanford program in the summer of 2013. She has helped the Cardinal reach the finals of the NCAA Championships each of the last two years, with the program claiming its first-ever crown in 2016.
In addition to her coachng duties, Dobashi oversees team travel and helps coordinate recruiting and scheduling.
In her first season with the Cardinal, Dobashi was part of a Cardinal program that won the 2014 Pac-12 Conference title, the second in program history (1999). The feat came against a premier field which made the league championships one of the best showcases of collegiate golf. Six Pac-12 teams were ranked among the top 11 in the nation heading into the tournament, including defending NCAA champion and top-ranked USC.
Stanford earne 12 top 10 finishies and tied for 18th at the NCAA Championships.
Dobashi arrived on The Farm after three seasons as an assistant coach at UC Davis, where she helped the Aggies achieve a top 10 national ranking, three consecutive individual and team Big West titles, and three consecutive Big West Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards.
A native of Gold River, Calif., Dobashi was a four-year letter winner at UC Davis. She played her final two seasons for Anne Walker, who served as the Aggies’ head coach for four seasons.
One of the program's first recruits when women’s golf was established in 2005, Dobashi helped UC Davis transition to Division I. The Aggies won nine tournaments while sending two players to the U.S. Open and five into the professional ranks.
A 2010 graduate of UC Davis, Dobashi earned a design degree and was a three-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Award, presented to the student-athlete with outstanding academics, athletic achievement and community involvement.
Dobashi graduated with honors following her prep career at Rio Americano, where she was a four-time all-league selection and team captain as a senior.