The University of Detroit Mercy Department of Athletics announced a restructuring in the men's and women's golf programs by hiring Jordan McArleton as the Director of Golf in the summer of 2022. The new position oversees the men's and women's golf teams as a full-time, dedicated head coach, following his fourth year with the program in 2025-26.
"We are extremely excited about the direction of the men's and women's golf programs," said Director of Athletics Robert C. Vowels, Jr. "The University and Department of Athletics are committed to the growth of both programs."
"I'm extremely excited to start this journey with Detroit Mercy," said McArleton at his hiring. "It's a program with a huge amount of potential and in coordination with the great staff already in place, I think we can make both short and long-term upgrades to the player experience, which will lead to results on the course."
This past year, the men recorded an 867 (289-292-286) at the Don Benbow Spring Invitational, tying for ninth in school history and the best since an 861 (290, 286, 285) at the NYX Hoosier Invite in 2012. In the tournament, Bavake Sihota posted a collegiate-best 207 (69-70-68), the fourth-best 54-hole total in school history and the best since 2019.
Coach McArleton saw the men's team end 2024-25 with one of their best averages in school history as the Titans posted a 296.1, the best mark since UDM tallied a 292.5 in 2007-08. Detroit Mercy also changed the record book as it shot a 566 at Cleveland State's Tom Tontimonia Invitational, the second-lowest in school history. At the same time, the final round 277 was the fifth-best 18-hole score in the school record book and the best since 2010. David Swab led the way, tying for first with a 135 (69-66), tied for the best two-round tournament in the record book, and his final round 4-under 66 was tied for the third best round in red, white and blue history.
The year before, the men posted a 297.04 average, the best mark by the red, white, and blue since they recorded a 296.3 in 2009-10, and also placed eighth at the Horizon League championship with a 907 (308-306-293), the best team score at the league championship since the 895 in 2014. Meanwhile, the final-round 293 was the best since shooting a 291 in the final round of 2013.
This past season, the women posted a 321.2 mark, the sixth-lowest in school history, and the second time in his four years guiding the team to one of the top seven marks in the record books. Ariel Chang was named First Team All-Horizon League, just the fifth Titan in school history to record three All-League honors, as she challenged for medalist honors at the Horizon League championship by tying for first place, the best finish by a Titan since 2014. She would finish her career first in school history with a 76.05 average.
The women tallied a 322.6 average in 2023-24, the seventh-lowest team average in school history. Ariel Chang won her first tournament at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational and earned All-Horizon League Second Team honors, finishing the year with a 76.47 average, good for a share of fourth in school history. She was also All-Tournament, tying for third at the HL Championship.
In his first year with both programs in 2022-23, he saw Chang earn her first conference honor as she was tabbed First Team All-Horizon League, first Titan underclassman to earn All-League honors since 2015. Chang broke the school record with a 76.05 average, starting all nine events and recording six top-10 finishes, including a tie for sixth at the Horizon League Championships with a 229.
The men claimed ninth at the Horizon League Championship with a 927, the best score for the Titans since 2017. Alek Mauro finished in the top 10, his sixth top-10 effort of the year and the first Titan in the top 10 at the league event since 2017.
Off the course, both teams have been recognized for their academic achievements. The women earned the WGCA Team Academic Award in 2023, 2025, and 2026, while the men earned the honor from the GCAA in all four years. The women's team also received the Department's Team Excellence Award for the highest GPA among all Titan teams (3.5) and was a Horizon League Raise Your Sights award winner in 2023.
In addition, 13 women have been named WGCA All-American Scholars, and five men have been tabbed GCAA All-American Scholars since he took over the program.
McArleton brought over 10 years of collegiate coaching experience to his resume as the head men's and women's golf coach at Albion College from 2010 to 2020.
Before joining the Titans, he was the Director of Instruction at Northville Hills Golf Club, overseeing instructional programming. Before that, he founded Jmac Golf Academy, offering private golf instruction for adults and team-based coaching for kids.
At Albion, he started his collegiate coaching career with the women's golf team in 2010 before adding the men's team under his belt in 2013. In 2018, he guided the women's team to third place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings, the program's best finish in 12 years. The women also had four players (Madison Kroetsch, Erica Mazur, Celine McClimans, Megan Moco) selected All-MIAA in his tenure and Megan Moco was honored with the MIAA Sportsmanship Award in 2017.
On the men's side, he helped Justin Kapke to a pair of All-MIAA honors and Connor Maddalena took home the MIAA Sportsmanship Award.
McArleton's professional career has also seen him work as a golf professional at Twin Lakes Country Club in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and a golf instructor for the City of Ann Arbor, providing kids and adult golf instruction at Leslie Park Golf Course and Huron Hills Golf Course during the summer months.
He was a four-year golfer and a two-time captain at Albion, earning medalist honors in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Jamboree his sophomore year. He was trained at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida, in high school.
McArleton earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Albion in 2003 and a Master of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State in 2012.
He is married to his lovely wife Theresa, and they have two boys, Liam (12) and Dash (10).
