University of Richmond Deputy Athletics Director LaRee Sugg was inducted on Apr. 18 into the Chesterfield County Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Stonebridge Recreation Center. Sugg joined Morgan Moses, Stan Morgan, and Will Bates as part of the Hall’s Class of 2026, marking the third group to be honored since the institution began in 2024.
The induction recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to sports in Chesterfield County. Inductees are commemorated with a permanent display at the River City Sportsplex in Midlothian, Virginia.
Sugg has been involved with Richmond Athletics since 2001 when she became the first head coach for the women’s golf program. A native of Petersburg and graduate of Matoaca High School in Chesterfield, she was also recognized for her achievements as one of the nation’s top golfers before joining Richmond.
During her enshrinement speech, Sugg thanked several former teachers and administrators from her high school years and reflected on being “the only girl on the school’s golf team,” saying it “gave me confidence to hold my own in a male-dominated industry.” She addressed current high school athletes at the event, encouraging them to “dream big, always believe in what is possible, have faith that God will always make a way, and allow your heart to remain open to the possibility of something positive happening, because often it does.”
Sugg competed on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during two periods between 1995–96 and 2000–01. She became just the third African American woman to compete on that tour. Her career included playing on tours across Europe and Asia as well as qualifying for multiple major championships such as six U.S. Women’s Opens and four Women’s British Opens.
As a collegiate athlete at UCLA from 1987-1991, Sugg helped lead her team to both PAC-10 and NCAA Women’s Golf Championships during her senior year—clinching victory with a birdie in sudden-death playoff—and earned All-American honors.
