They say timing is everything, and if you need further proof, take the circumstances surrounding Melissa Luellen, the Arizona State women’s golf coach.

In her fourth year as the leader of the Sun Devils, Luellen has done an amazing job on several fronts. But the one thing that’s most important to ASU’s athletic administration and its boosters is she’s taken a program that was broken – at least momentarily -- and fixed it in a big way.

Just as impressive, the ASU women have progressed steadily, from an NCAA appearance during Luellen’s first year, to two top-10 NCAA finishes the past two years.

That ASU currently is ranked No. 3 in the country and is the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA East Regional says even more about Luellen’s leadership.

Recently, Luellen was honored as the Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year. Sure, she deserved it, but the timing was, well, a little off. You see, her team had just come up one stroke shy of the Pac-10 title to arch-rival UCLA, which happens to be the nation’s No. 2 team.

“To tell the truth, I was a little surprised,’’ Luellen said of the honor. “It’s a peer vote among the coaches, so obviously it was wonderful.

“At the same time, my team was hurting, so there were some very mixed emotions.’’

Let’s see, your team loses the Pac-10 championship on the last three holes of the tournament, and a little less than an hour later, you’re the coach of the year. Yeah, most people can understand how Luellen felt.

“I would have happily – HAPPILY – traded the coaching honor for a team title,’’ Luellen said. “And, really, when you take the emotion out of it, these kids have worked so hard, and it’s their hard work that got me the accolade.’’

So timing wasn’t everything, but chances are not one of her players minded the consolation prize(s). Besides, there are bigger dances than the Pac-10 on ASU’s current card.

The first comes next week, when the Sun Devils travel across the country to Bryan Park, N.C., where Wake Forest is hosting the East Regional on May 11-13. How ASU became the No. 1 seed there rather than No.1 Duke is an interesting story. Just don’t ask Luellen how or why.

“Yeah, it surprised me, too,’’ Luellen said of the situation, which sent Duke to the Central Region half way across the country in Texas. “You’d have to call the NCAA (for the answer).’’

OK, so ASU will get a little extra meal money and a few more frequent flyer miles, too. No problem, as long as the Sun Devils are one of the eight teams to advance from that 21-team regional.

“These days, you take nothing for granted,’’ Luellen said of the game plan. “In the past two years, (then) No. 2 Auburn, No. 4 Georgia, and last year Arizona, failed to make it out of the regional.

“So we’re going there to win; not just top-eight. Hey, you can’t fall asleep any where along the way.’’

Chances are the East Regional will be a cakewalk for the Sun Devils. Just don’t try to sell Luellen on such thinking.

Next up will be the NCAA Championship on Ohio State’s famed Scarlet Course in Columbus. How that works out is anybody’s guess, because Duke is rock-solid, and a mere five strokes have separated UCLA from ASU -- for the SEASON! Another factor, no team outside the Buckeyes have played the Scarlet, which has undergone a complete renovation.

But let’s say it’s still not time for the Sun Devils to win a record seventh NCAA Championship, the first six coming under former coach Linda Vollstedt. The prediction here is it will happen soon.

I say that because ASU’s top two players this season – Spanish sensation Azahara Munoz and Jennifer Osborn – are freshmen. But the key may well be her top three recruits for next year – Camila Sola of Argentina, Juliana Murcia of Colombia and Anna Nordqvist from Sweden.

Spanning the globe has become the key to women’s college golf; just look at the foreign pipeline into Duke and UCLA. And in Sola, Murcia and Nordqvist, Luellen has struck the international equivalent of gold, which translates into any language.