Bio

Ming Lao took the helm of the Chapman men's golf program in the fall of 2013 following four seasons serving as an assistant coach. In his first season, he guided the Panthers to a national ranking for the first time in school history. In 2016-17, he was also appointed as the Head Coach of the new women's golf program.

After the 2020 season came to an abrupt end and the start of the 2021 season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lao led the men's and women's teams to banner seasons. The men's team won the the SCIAC Golf Tournament Championship and freshman Kaila Higgins became the second Chapman golfer to earn an individual invitation to the NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championship.

Lao spent little time turning the women's golf program into a competitive squad. In it's second season, the Panthers took second place at the SCIAC Championships. In just its third season competing, Chapman saw Emily Lewis qualify for the 2019 NCAA Division III National Championships. Lewis and Lao previously led the team to a top half finish in the highly competitive SCIAC in 2018 and 2019. The program features five All-SCIAC selections and two All-Region selections.

In 2016, Lao landed Chapman its first golfer on the All-SCIAC men's team when Bryan Wise earned the selection to the First Team. The Panthers have had five All-SCIAC selections in the last five years.

The Long Beach native has extensive coaching experience, working with numerous Division I and II players as well as over a dozen top 100 American Junior Golf Association players.

As a collegiate athlete, Lao played at UC Irvine before transferring to Long Beach State where he earned his bachelor's degree. Since that time, he has tallied an extensive list of coaching accomplishments and certifications that include SCPGA Junior Golf Leader, Titleist Performance Institute Level I Golf Fitness Instructor, PGA Class A membership and an instructor's credential for LPGA Tour players Christine Song and Jane Rah.

Lao currently resides in Long Beach with his wife, Jill, and his two children, Tyler and Reese.