JERRY HAAS - WAKE FOREST GOLF HEAD COACH & CAMP DIRECTOR

When Wake Forest was looking for a coach to lead the men's golf into the future, it turned to someone who is a part of the program's glorious past.

Jerry's brother, Jay Haas, led Wake Forest to back-to-back NCAA championships in the 1970s. Bill Haas -- Jay's son and Jerry's nephew -- played for the Deacons from 2001 to 2004, earning National Player of the Year honors two times and All-ACC honors four times before going on to win the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour.

Haas is a former member of the PGA Tour, playing in 115 events from 1990-92 as well as in 1995. He is also a veteran of the Nike Tour (now the Web.com Tour) and the European Tour. Haas won three times on the Nike tour in 1994 and finished ninth on the money list that season.

Haas has coached a number of players who are enjoying the life of professional golf. Bill Haas, Webb Simpson, Cameron Young and Will Zalatoris are currently some of the hottest golfers on the PGA Tour. They were joined in 2011 by Kyle Reifers, who played for the Deacons from 2003-06. In addition, Brendan Gielow, Travis Wadkins and Lee Bedford have played on the Korn Ferry Tour.

When Haas returned to the Wake Forest campus 25 years ago, the men's golf program was in need of a major rebuilding project. The program was distant from the high standards set by former coach Jesse Haddock and Haddock's first star, Arnold Palmer. Haas was named head coach of the Deacons on September 1, 1997, by Director of Athletics, Ron Wellman.

VAN WILLIAMS - ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH AT WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

Williams joined the Winston-Salem Community following a three-year stint as the head coach with the Terriers where he led Wofford to two team titles and had four players capture individual titles. Additionally during his tenure in Spartanburg, S.C., the Terriers had 4 SoCon All-Conference selections and 2 SoCon All-Freshman selections. Meanwhile off the course, 9 players were named to Southern Conference Spring Academic All-Conference Teams between 2021 and 2024. 

Overall, Williams has 21 years of coaching experience including the last 11 being a Division I golf head coach and assistant coach. The highlight of his coaching career came in 2016 when he helped Oregon win the NCAA Championship and the Ducks had two All-Americans, including Aaron Wise who was crowned the 2016 NCAA Individual National Champion. Additionally, he has recruited 20-plus top-100 players.

Prior to joining the coaching staff at Wofford, Williams was the associate head coach at NC State for three years. During his time in Raleigh, Williams helped guide the Wolfpack to two top-25 campaigns, including an appearance at the 2017 NCAA Championship. Additionally, NC State won four tournament team titles and six individual titles.  

Before his arrival at NC State, Williams spent four seasons in the Pac-12 –  three in Eugene with the Ducks and the 2016-17 campaign as an assistant at Arizona State. 

During his lone season in Tempe, Williams helped tutor a Sun Devil lineup that featured three freshmen and a sophomore to an NCAA Championship berth. The Sun Devils ended the season with two tournament wins and four individuals claimed medalist honors. 

In addition to the aforementioned National Championship during his final season at Oregon, Williams helped develop six All-Pac-12 players. In his three years as an assistant at Oregon, Williams helped guide the Ducks to three NCAA Championship appearances, including the 2016 national title, as well as eight total tournament titles.

During the 2014-15 season, Williams helped coach the Ducks to five tournament victories, the second-most wins in a season in program history, as Wise took home two individual tournament titles, while Lim collected one title. The Ducks finished second at the 2016 Pac-12 Championship and competed at the NCAA Championships for a second consecutive season.

Prior to his time at Oregon, Coach Williams was the head coach at Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh from 2011-13. He led the Eagles to their first National Junior College Athletic Association ranking after the NJCAA Tournament in 2013.  

In addition to his coaching experience, Williams served as a caddie for Casey Martin (2002-04) on the PGA and Nationwide tours, and Aaron Wise (2015-16) at the 2016 U.S. Open and 2015 U.S. Amateur.

COACH EDDIE BRESCHER - SOUTHERN MISS UNIVERSITY

Eddie Brescher returns for his third season directing the Southern Miss men’s golf program and has seen the program improve each season during his tenure.

Brescher took over for Jerry Weeks, who retired following 12 years at the helm of the program, after working five seasons as assistant men's golf coach and three seasons as an assistant for the women’s golf program at Southern Miss. He also served as interim women’s coach from December of 2017 to the conclusion of that spring season.

In his first season at the helm of the program in 2018-19, Brescher increased the number of team victories from 33 to 55 and his squad posted a pair of team championships as they collected the Sam Hall Intercollegiate and LaTour Collegiate titles. It was the first team wins for the program since 2014.

In an abbreviated season during his second year due to COVID-19, the Golden Eagles posted 69 team wins in only eight tournaments that saw them also finish top three during three different events. In addition, the program enjoyed its top two stroke leaders in history as freshman Robbie Latter posted a 72.29 stroke average over 24 rounds, while Brice Wilkinson added a 72.46 stroke average over 24 rounds as well.

Brescher has also hit the recruiting trail hard, bringing in quality golfers from all around the world. His freshman class of Latter and Thongpipat Rattanayanon last season combined for the best freshman class according to Golfstat, in terms of lowest scoring average.

Brescher came to Southern Miss after spending two years as the head men's and women's golf coach at Millsaps College. While there, Brescher led the Majors to a ranking as high as No. 37 ranking, which was the best in school history. He also had two team victories, two SAA All-Conference players, six All-Tournament Team selections and six academic honor roll golfers.

TIM STRAUB, HEAD COACH, DAVIDSON COLLEGE

Tim Straub, the 2018, 2019 and 2021 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year, is now in his 22nd season as head coach of the Davidson men’s golf team.

Davidson’s second-longest tenured head coach, Straub has placed his own unique mark on the Wildcat program, which is highlighted by three conference championships in their last four trips.

Under Straub's guidance, Davidson has produced numerous team wins, made three NCAA Regional appearances as a team, generated three conference individual medalists, six NCAA Regional qualifiers, two A-10 Players of the Year, four A-10 Rookie of the Years, 20 all-conference honors and 23 Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars.

Heavy favorites to defend its Atlantic 10 title from a year ago, Davidson entered the final nine holes of the 2022 league tournament two back of VCU. The Wildcats played the last six holes in a remarkable 10-under par to rally past the Rams for their second straight title.

"I am so proud of this team -- they never gave up! It was an amazing finish, playing the last six holes in 10-under par to win by two shots," commented Straub following the team's second straight conference title.

BEN HANNAN, HEAD COACH, UNIVERSITY OF S. ALABAMA

Now entering his 18th season as head men’s golf coach at the University of South Alabama, Ben Hannan has helped lead the program to 11 tournament victories and more than 30 other top-three finishes during his tenure.

That includes guiding the Jaguars to four NCAA Regional appearances as a team — including the first two at-large berths in program history in 2013 and ’14 — while having seven student-athletes receive an individual invitation to a regional or advance to the NCAA Championship; twice the team would fall three strokes or fewer shy of an opportunity to advance to the national championship. He helped South claim the Sun Belt Conference title in 2005, earning league coach-of-the-year honors for the effort, while in 2010 Hannan and the Jags recovered from a four-stroke deficit entering the final round to win the Sun Belt championship.

Individually he aided Gareth Maybin in picking up honorable mention PING All-American accolades in his first season leading the program, while Michael Garretson was voted the SBC Player of the Year following the 2014 campaign. In addition to having 15 student-athletes named all-conference on 30 occasions, Hannan has helped 16 individuals receive national academic honors 24 times from the Golf Coaches Association of America.

GRANT ROBBINS, HEAD COACH, KANSAS STATE

Grant Robbins, a veteran coach with over 20 years building and leading programs to postseason appearances, enters his ninth season at Kansas State in 2022-23. Robbins, whose resume includes three coach of the year honors in two conferences, guiding seven teams to NCAA play and whose Memphis team captured the 2012 Conference USA Championship, was tabbed the 13th men's golf coach at Kansas State on May 18, 2014.

In eight seasons in Manhattan, K-State has produced quality performances on the course with a bright future ahead. Three of the top five team stroke averages have come in his time with the Wildcats, highlighted by the 2021-22 squad that ranks 1st at 288.24. Robbins guided that 2021-22 team to six top-five finishes and earned an NCAA Regional bid for the first team since 2009.

In just Coach Robbins second season (2015-16) with the Wildcats, the team tied for seventh in school history with five top-five finishes, while K-State concluded that season tied for sixth at the Big 12 Championship for its best showing since placing fifth in 2013.

ADAM DECKER - HEAD COACH, UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND

Adam Decker has been the head coach of the Spiders men's golf program for the past 17 seasons. A three-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Decker has led Richmond to a pair of NCAA regional appearances and guided the school to its first-ever Atlantic-10 title in 2017.

Under Decker, the Spiders have won 10 tournaments and finished in the top five in the Atlantic 10 in each of his 16 full seasons. (The 2020 Atlantic 10 Championship was canceled due to coronavirus concerns.)

At Richmond, Decker’s players have been widely recognized for their performances both on and off the course. In 2021, the team was named Academic National Champions for posting the highest team GPA of any men's golf team in the nation. The honors earned by Richmond golfers under Decker also include 24 All-Atlantic 10 selections, eight Academic All-Atlantic 10 selections, 24 All-America Scholars Team selections, and two Atlantic 10 Golfer of the Year Awards. 

MATT GROBE - HEAD COACH, MARSHALL UNIVERSITY

Matt Grobe enters his eleventh season in 2022-23 leading the Marshall men’s golf team after being named the head coach in June 2012.
 
During his tenure, Marshall has 18 top three finishes along with four tournament victories. The Herd has tallied 78 individual top 10 finishes and eight individual tournament wins. Seven of his players have played in the U.S. Amateur and Brian Anania was the West Virginia Amateur Champion in 2014. He also coached the 2012 Ohio Amateur Champion Nathan Kearns as a senior at Marshall. Alex Weiss (2018) along with Kearns (2013) advanced to play in the NCAA Regionals. Weiss also won the 99th Ohio Open in July of 2020.
 
Ten times his players have been honored as All-Conference USA. Weiss, Anania and Tyler Jones have been named to the Conference USA All-Academic team twice. Grobe has had players named C-USA Golfer of the Week 12 times as well. Weiss finished his time with the Green & White being named Marshall Male Student Athlete of the Year in 2018 after winning two individual tournament, second team All-Conference USA, Conference USA All-Academic Team and played as an individual in the NCAA Regionals in Raleigh, North Carolina.