It’s been a little over nine months since Austin Swafford accepted the head golf coaching job at UTM, planning to succeed Jerry Carpenter after his retirement at the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign.
Swafford officially begins his appointment as the third head coach in program history today, following Carpenter (2002-20) and Grover Page (1961-75, 1981-2002).
A Lebanon, Tennessee native, Swafford was groomed for the role of head coach throughout this past season, which ranks as one of the best in Skyhawk history. He handled administrative duties and took on an increased role in all aspects of the program as UTM won five of its nine tournaments before the season came to an end in mid-March.
“This past season was beneficial in the fact I became more familiar with the behind-the-scenes stuff a coach has to do that you don’t see as a player,” Swafford said. “Also, I was able to try things at practice and tournaments we haven’t done before so it was nice to be able to test those out before my first season as head coach.”
Swafford is of course familiar with the Skyhawk program, as he was a four-year starter from 2013-17. He was only the program’s second-ever OVC Freshman of the Year honoree and completed his career with All-OVC accolades. He was also an integral part of the 2015-16 team that went on to win the program’s first-ever OVC championship.
“Coach Carpenter built this program into what it is today and his work should most certainly be recognized,” Swafford said. “To see how far the program has come since 2002 is remarkable and while I have a few fresh ideas, there are some things that work great for us here at UTM that I plan to continue using.”
Carpenter will slide into a volunteer assistant role for the golf program while also serving as special assistant to athletic director Kurt McGuffin.
“Congratulations to Coach Swafford for becoming the third head coach in the history of the UTM golf program,” Carpenter said. “We are more than pleased to have him lead our program and know that he will continue to improve and build our program in the future.”
Swafford’s first squad as head coach received a boost on March 30 when the NCAA approved an extra year of eligibility for spring-sport student-athletes who saw their 2019-20 campaign cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seniors Jack Story and Ross Redmont – each of whom claimed All-OVC accolades and had accepted post-graduation jobs elsewhere – will now return to school for the 2020-21 season. They will be part of a rock-solid 12-man roster that will surely be voted as one of the favorites to take home the OVC crown.
“Hopefully things stay as scheduled for this upcoming season,” Swafford said. “I am excited as we have everyone from last season returning plus our three new freshmen joining us. It will be a competitive year and we can’t wait to build on our success from last season. Our guys make my job easy and come willing to work every day on and off the course.”
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