CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Varsity "I" Association will honor four men who have played major roles in the Fighting Illini championship golf legacy at the annual Orange Affair on Friday at the Colonnades Club of Memorial Stadium, as part of the Varsity "I" Weekend festivities.
"Each year, Varsity 'I' Weekend provides an opportunity to honor great Illini who have provided extraordinary leadership and support, not just on the Illinois campus and in Illini Athletics, but in the broader world," Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said. "The 2024 honorees – golf letterwinner and Board of Trustees chairman Don Edwards; our incomparable men's golf coach Mike Small, himself a golf letterwinner and Don's former teammate; their Illini head coach Ed Beard; and Illinois alumnus and philanthropic leader Steve Wymer – embody the University's standard of excellence in the many arenas where they have chosen to dedicate their talents. Our program is indebted to them for the differences they have made, and continue to make, in the experience of our student-athletes, and we look forward to recognizing them for the countless contributions."
Former Fighting Illini golfer Don Edwards, who is finishing his six-year term as chairperson of the UI Board of Trustees, is being recognized with the Varsity "I" Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a member of the Varsity "I" family for post-graduate success.
A member of the 1988 Big Ten Championship golf team, Edwards was a teammate of longtime PGA Tour member Steve Stricker and current Illini head coach, and fellow honoree, Mike Small. He is the CEO of Flexpoint Ford LLC, a private equity investment firm he founded in 2005. In addition to his leadership role with the BOT, Edwards has served on the board of commissioners for the Chicago Park District, board of directors for World Business Chicago, board of trustees for the Museum of Contemporary Art and the board of trustees at Lurie Children's Hospital.
Edwards earned Bronze Tablet honors at the University of Illinois in 1988 while earning his bachelor's degree in finance. He went on to receive his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1994.
Long-time Fighting Illini men's golf coach Mike Small will receive the Merit Award, presented annually to a letterwinner who has impacted the lives of countless Illini student-athletes as a coach or administrator. A member of the 1988 Big Ten Championship squad, Small is in his 25th season in charge of the men's golf program. During his illustrious coaching career, Small has guided the Illini to 13 of the last 15 Big Ten Championship titles, including a conference-record run of eight straight from 2015 through 2023 while establishing a new standard for sustained excellence in the league.
Under Small's direction, the Illini program has achieved greatness not only at the conference level, but nationally as well. He has led Illinois to top-five finishes in nine of the last 13 NCAA Championships, including a runner-up finish in 2013. His 2024-25 squad is ranked ninth nationally entering the season.
Small has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year a conference-record 13 times and Midwest Regional Coach of the Year on 13 occasions. He was recognized for his success as a 2016 inductee into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame. Small has continued his professional playing career while coaching, most recently playing on the PGA TOUR Champions and in 13 major championships.
Three individuals are also being inducted as honorary members into the Varsity "I" Association for their long-standing support of Fighting Illini student-athletes.
Former Fighting Illini golf coach Ed Beard, who led the team that featured Edwards, Small and Stricker to the 1988 Big Ten title, laid the groundwork for success of the Illini program. Beard retired following the 2000 season after 20 years as the Illini head coach. His 1999 squad finished 15th at the NCAA Championships, Illinois' fourth NCAA appearance at that point and its highest finish under Beard. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year following the 1988 conference title, Illinois's first in 47 seasons. Beard coached for 12 years at Cal State-Fullerton, his alma mater, before coming to Illinois. He was followed as head coach by Small.
Steve Wymer and Hope Sidman are being honored for their incredible generosity and support of the University and Fighting Illini Athletics.
Wymer, a 1985 Gies College of Business alumnus with a bachelor's in accounting, is a portfolio manager in the Equity and High-Income division of Fidelity Investments. In 2017, he was awarded Morningstar's Fund Manager of the Year. A native of nearby, Danville, Ill., he has been the manager of Fidelity Growth Company Fund since 1997. Wymer is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of Chicago, Booth's Business Council at the University of Chicago and Gies College of Business Council at Illinois. After graduating from Gies, Wymer earned his MBA from the University of Chicago. He lives in the Boston area with partner, Hope Sidman, and their son, Eli.
Sidman is the vice chairperson and CEO at H2O Applied Technologies, which provides energy conservation services to commercial and institutional clients on a national basis. She earned her bachelor's degree from Duke and her law degree from Boston University. Among her various philanthropic activities, Sidman is a member of the Board of Overseers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. She is a board member of the Boston-based Esplanade Association, served as a trustee of the Map Center at the Boston Public Library and was an active board member of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. Sidman is engaged in Combined Jewish Philanthropies Center for Combating Antisemitism and her antisemitism work is her current top priority.
Together, their generous lead gift led to the naming of Steven S. Wymer Hall on the Illinois campus, which will provide an advanced, high-tech facility serving both on-campus and online learners. The nearly 100,000-square-foot building, which will stand on Gregory Drive between the Business Instructional Facility and Huff Hall once completed, will serve the College and University's rapidly growing online programs, enabling Gies and other units on campus to expand access and creating a highly engaging learning environment. Wymer and Sidman also supported additions to the award-winning Demirjian Indoor and Lauritsen/Wohlers Outdoor Practice Facility and the Steve Wymer Pro Shop of Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois.
