I took over as the head coach for the men's and women's golf programs on January 1, 2020. I inherited a men's team that finished in last place in 2019 and a women's team that only had two golfers (a minimum of four is required).

My focus over the past twelve months has been on building a solid culture and recruiting talented players. It is important to note that the current players on both rosters are high-character individuals with significant golf talent. I have no doubt that the future of both golf programs is extremely bright!

At this time, we are actively recruiting dozens of players and are extremely close to finalizing things with a number of our top recruits. In addition to bringing in new players, we are looking to upgrade the programs in a number of ways. For example, we are in the process of improving our indoor hitting facility on campus. This has been identified as a top priority in the recruitment and retention of elite student-athletes.

The current plan is to convert the old athletic training room into an indoor hitting facility for golf. The new hitting facility will include: branding on the walls and furniture, a hitting cage or netting system, hitting mats, a FlightScope Golf Launch Monitor/Simulator, iPad, and a big-screen TV. 

Sincerely, 

Matthew Johnson

Senior Associate AD for Budget & Head Men's Women's Golf Coach

Team Fun Facts:

• Our international golfers do not like playing in the cold weather.
• I grew up playing soccer with the father and uncle of one of my current players; I still play in men's leagues with both of them.
• We have a player who is petrified of driving over bridges - even small ones.