In 2009, Chattanooga’s women’s golf team reached the NCAA Finals. In the years that followed, the team won several conference titles and sent players to NCAA Regionals. Much of that success came under Colette Murray, a Scottish-born coach who joined the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2006. Nearly two decades later, Murray is taking the university to federal court.

In a lawsuit filed in October 2026, she accuses UTC of firing her in retaliation for repeatedly asking officials to treat the women’s golf program fairly.

According to Golfweek, Murray filed the lawsuit on October 7 in a federal court in Chattanooga. She alleges that the university fired her because she repeatedly asked officials to treat the women’s golf program fairly, just as they treated the men’s team. 

The complaint accuses UTC of violating Title IX, the federal law that bars gender discrimination in education programs, including athletics. It also alleges denial of due process, breach of her employment contract, and a refusal to provide her a legal defense in a separate lawsuit brought by a former player. 

Murray’s lawsuit includes claims of retaliation, sex discrimination, and a hostile work environment. These are allegations, and the court has not ruled on them.

Murray claims she spent years asking university officials to give the team resources comparable to those available to the men’s team. She alleges that funding for women’s scholarships was reduced and her assistant coach received less pay than the men’s assistant. She also points out that the men’s head coach had a five-year contract, while hers was renewed annually.

According to the lawsuit, Murray also raised money to support her team. She says she collected donations from supporters, secured $25,000 to host a tournament, and arranged funding for a van worth more than $100,000, all without help from the athletic department. She says the account she managed had $150,000 when the university fired her.

UTC has linked Murray’s firing to a separate lawsuit filed by former golfer Alexis Daniel in early 2026. Daniel is suing the university, board of trustees members, and several athletic department employees. She alleges that she suffered a serious brain injury during a mandatory workout on March 7, 2025. According to her lawsuit, no athletic trainers or strength and conditioning staff were present. Murray and her assistant coach were away with the team at a tournament at the time.

Murray says she was called to a meeting with human resources on October 9, 2025, and expected to discuss Daniel’s complaint. Instead, she alleges, the university fired her for failing to share information about the matter. Murray denies the accusation and says she was initially not told the meeting could lead to her dismissal or shown Daniel’s written complaint.

UTC introduced Katie Woodruff, the wife of men’s golf coach Blaine Woodruff, as Murray’s replacement that same day. The lawsuit claims Katie had no division-specific previous head-coaching experience. She did not continue in the role after the 2025-26 season.

The complaint also accuses Blaine Woodruff of making hostile public remarks about Murray. It alleges he called her “psychotic” and described her program as “an absolute dumpster fire.” Murray claims the university allowed this behavior to continue because Woodruff remained on staff.

Murray says she was prevented from meeting her players and lost access to her university email, despite taking two classes there. An athletic director’s letter dated November 1 set November 21, 2025, as her termination date, according to the lawsuit.

She alleges that her salary stopped before the golf season ended in June 2026 and that UTC also ended its financial support for her master’s program. She further claims the university’s chancellor rejected her appeal without giving a detailed explanation.

Murray also accuses UTC of refusing to provide her and her former assistant with legal representation in Daniel’s case, despite defending other defendants. She is seeking back pay, reinstatement or future lost wages, along with damages for alleged discrimination, retaliation and harm to her reputation.

Murray’s coaching record includes four SoCon Coach of the Year awards and five consecutive conference titles from 2010 to 2014. Her teams recorded 108 wins, 23 losses, and two ties in conference tournaments.

Her former players also reached major milestones. Christine Wolf and Emma de Groot helped Chattanooga reach the 2009 NCAA Championship. Murray later caddied for Wolf at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open. Wolf went on to play on the Ladies European Tour and represented Austria at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she finished 43rd.

Polish golfer Dorota Zalewska added to Chattanooga’s success by winning the 2023 NCAA Raleigh Regional. It was the program’s first individual win at an NCAA Regional.

Murray’s lawsuit has raised questions about how UTC treated its women’s golf team. She claims her complaints about unequal resources led to her firing, while the university has linked her dismissal to the case involving Daniel’s injury. The court will review the evidence before deciding.