Former Buccaneer All-American Carlos Velez returned to take the helm of the men's golf program in the fall of 2022.
The Bucs finished second in the conference tournament in 2025, and advanced to the Super Regional for the 21st straight year.
In 2024, the Bucs won their third straight conference tournament championship, advancing to the Super Regional. Albin Ekvall was named the SSC Freshman of the Year and earned Second-Team All-SSC. Miikka Makinen was a Third-Team selection and he, along with Amani D'Ambrosio was GCAA All-American Scholars.
In his first season in 2023, the Bucs won their second straight Sunshine State Conference championship, setting the conference record by firing a -35 as they hosted the tournament at Normandy Shores. As a team, the Bucs shot a three-round score of 817 (-35), breaking their own championship record by 15 strokes, which was set in 2019 and tied in 2022. Their round of 267 (-17) was the second lowest score ever recorded by a team in a single round, right behind the 2022 Buccaneers, who shot -18 at Grasslands. The Bucs are back-to-back SSC champions (2022 & 2023) and back-to-back individual champions (Nicolas Quintero, 2022 & AJ Ewart, 2023). Barry became the first team to repeat as SSC champions, since Lynn went back-to-back in 2015 and 2016 and the first school to have back-to-back individual champions since Nova Southeastern's back-to-back winners in 2012-13. Ewart was named the SSC Player of the Year for the second straight season
The Bucs went on to finish second at the NCAA Super Regional and advanced to the Semifinals of match play. Ewart and Alvarez both earned GCAA All-America, Ewart for the fourth time, while Alvarez became a four-time GCAA Scholar All-American.
Velez took over one of the premier men's golf programs in NCAA Division II. The Bucs have three NCAA Division II national championships, two NCAA South Region titles and six Sunshine State Conference tournament championships. Since 2004, the Bucs have had 51 Golf Coaches Association of America PING All-Americans and 24 All-American Scholars.
Velez was a member of Barry’s first men’s golf championship team in 2007 as a freshman. He went on to earn GCAA All-America honors in 2009 and 2010, added Scholar All-America awards those seasons as well. A three-time All-SSC golfer, he won the individual medal at the 2010 SSC Tournament. A remarkably consistent player, he saw his score counted for the team score 118 times in 134 career rounds, which is still the second-most in program history.
In addition to his athletic and academic accomplishments at Barry, he was also one of the most courteous players in program history. He was the recipient of the team’s sportsmanship award as a junior and senior, after which the award was renamed in his honor.
He has over 20 years experience as an assistant golf professional in Miami at Miccosukee Golf & Country Club and International Links Miami. He played on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and caddied on the PGA Tour for Erik Compton. Since 2012, he has been a certified coach with First Tee, and has served on the board of the Dade Amateur Golf Association. He served as the tournament director for First Tee’s Miami Doral Junior Golf Classic since 2015.
Velez graduated from Barry with a degree in sport management/golf industry with a minor in business in 2010.
Velez is married to the former Digmarie Jimenez-Morales, another Barry graduate. The couple, who live in Kendall, have one daughter, Amelia.
