April 17, 2008

College Station, TX (UWIRE) -- In 2001, Texas A&M University men's golf head coach J.T. Higgins' hiring was met with rave reviews and high expectations. In his first season, though, the team struggled to a ninth place finish in the Big 12 Championship and failed to secure a bid to the NCAA Regionals

Since then, Higgins has led the men's golf team to four consecutive NCAA Championships, and the team is ranked No. 17 in the nation.

This success is a product of bringing in top talent and careful coaching on Higgins' part in turning the program around.

"[When I arrived at A&M] I just saw what a lot of other coaches have said, that A&M is a sleeping giant," Higgins said. "The University academically is great, has a great recruiting base here in Texas and the feeling that we could build a tradition of success with golf. So when I came here, I saw the potential and what A&M could be."

Higgins has made a name for himself recruiting great players. Under Higgins, players such as Andrew Parr and Bronson Burgoon have played in PGA Tour qualifiers and events, and he has brought in some of the best players from around the world.

"To have a good program, first off you have to have great players. It's the same for all sports. You have to have great facilities, and something I've tried to do is to upgrade the schedule. You need the best competition you can get," Higgins said.

"We now play some of the best teams in the country, and when you put all of those things together, it's really hard to lose. I feel that the guys have all responded well because they know they're playing for a great University and they're playing for something that's bigger than themselves."

Bringing in some of the top golfers in the country was no easy task when Higgins arrived; with the team had not made it to the NCAA Championship in more than three years. But with him, Higgins brought a pedigree of success from when he was an assistant at the University of Northern Las Vegas and a head coach at New Mexico State that would help in rebuilding the struggling squad.

"The program was down. The year I came in, we had some players quit, transfer...we had some kids who didn't have the commitment that it takes to be a great Division I athlete," Higgins said.

"There were some good young players, though, and I think we did a good job of attracting some good recruits right off the bat. I think [the men's golf program] is better now than when I got here, it just needed some smoothing out around the edges.

"[Potential A&M golfers] realize that they want to get better, and they can do that here. They want to play golf for a living, they want to get to the highest level that they can. We show them that they're going to have a chance to compete against some of the greatest golfers in the country in tournaments. They've got facilities where they can practice every shot; they can get any help they need academically. It's a perfect situation for anyone who cares about school and golf."

Some of the products of Higgins' coaching have gone on to the professional ranks in the PGA Tour.

On April 6, Higgins caddied for one of his former golfers, Aggie graduate Parr, in the Shell Houston Open.

"[Caddying for Parr] was a great experience for both of us. I think we both learned a lot," Higgins said. "I think the first round we both got away from what we do really well, but then we talked about it that night and went out and it was just like when he was back in college playing for me.

"That was my first time [caddying]. It was hard work. I have a lot of respect for those guys. That bag gets really heavy!"

Higgins said that there are similarities in being a coach and caddying at the professional level, but distinct differences as well.

"The first day I didn't say as much as I normally would [have], I just kind of let him do his thing, I knew I should have put my two cents in, but I didn't," Higgins said. "So the second round I did, and he had a much better day. It was really just trying to make sure he makes the right decision, and when he does make a decision, be sure to enforce it and stay positive to build confidence. I really think a caddy's biggest job is just to be a cheerleader."

Higgins and the Aggie men's golf team begin post-season play at the Big 12 Championships in Trinity, Texas, on April 25-27.

(C) 2008 The Battalion via UWIRE