MORRISTOWN, TN – For 14 years, Tony Patterson coached golf at the high school level. Now, he will be giving it a go at the collegiate level.

On Wednesday, Patterson was named the Walters State Head Golf Coach. 

"I am thankful and excited to have been given the opportunity to coach men's golf at Walters State," Patterson said. "I feel humbled to have been chosen by Derek Creech and his staff for this position."

Patterson comes into a golf program that has had a lot of success over the years. The Walters State golf team won the NJCAA DII National Championship in 2014 and were runner-ups in 2013 and 2019. Most recently, the Senators finished in third-place this past season at the National Championship.

That success was very appealing to Patterson and something he will be looking to add on to. 

"When I applied for the job, the success of the Walters State Golf Program was very appealing to me," Patterson said. "I have closely followed the program as Coach (Bill) Gardner led it for many years; and, then as my former player, Brad Hawkins took over in 2019."

Patterson's coaching experience comes from his time at Knox Central. Patterson coached the golf team there from 2005-2018. He was the 5Star Preps Girls Coach of the Year in 2018. 

One of his former players at Knox Central was Brad Hawkins, who Patterson will be replacing as golf coach at Walters State. Hawkins resigned after this season to explore different opportunities in the sport. 

"Brad Hawkins is one of the hardest workers that I have ever coached," Patterson said. "Any success that he has had as a player or a coach has come as no surprise to me. He has been and continues to be a great ambassador for Walters State Golf.  It seems funny that I am stepping into a coaching position that my player held.  Brad did a tremendous job here at Walters State, this means I have some pretty big shoes to fill."

While Patterson was introduced to the game of golf by his dad when he was eight-years-old, he really became serious about it after playing baseball at Carson-Newman. Patterson is currently a member at The Country Club. 

During that time exploring the sport, Patterson has learned a lot that he can put into coaching. 

"Golf has taught me to have patience," Patterson said. "I try to instill this in my players; because, to be successful in golf you must have talent and a lot of patience."

When interviewing candidates for the job, Walters State Athletic Director Derek Creech could tell the passion that Patterson has for coaching the game of golf. 

"We are very excited to announce Tony Patterson as our head golf coach," Creech said. "Tony has had a lot of success coaching over the years, and we are confident that will continue here at Walters State. Tony expresses a love for coaching the sport but also for making sure our student-athletes graduate and move on to the next level. We are confident he is the right fit for the job." 

Patterson enters his first year on the job with the task of replacing a good group of sophomores. Patterson's goals for the program are to emphasize the results hard work will produce on the golf course and in the classroom. 

"My goal for this program is to continue to compete for and win National Championships," Patterson said. "And, most importantly, the goal for my players is to see them graduate and move to the next level."

Walters State's fall season will begin in September, while the Senators will look to compete for a National Championship in the Spring. 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics