The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Head Coach John Fields
03.03.2005 | Men's Golf
Hometown: Las Cruces, N.M.
Education: University of New Mexico, 1982 (B.S., University Studies) PGA Business School I (1985) PGA Business School II (1986) PGA of America - Class A Member (1987)
John Fields is in his eighth year at the helm of The University of Texas men's golf program. During his first seven years in Austin, Fields has positioned Texas as a consistent challenger for the national title and has led the Longhorns into the national spotlight year after year.
Fields became the Longhorns' golf coach in August, 1997. Tradition, a history of success, and outstanding players helped draw Fields to the Forty Acres.
When Texas was looking for a man to become only the fifth golf coach in school history, the formula was simple. The school asked those who had played for Fields, and those who had played against Fields. His popularity and the success of his teams combined to sell UT Men's Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds on Fields.
"Every player we talked to, whether from New Mexico or other institutions, knew John Fields and liked him," said Dodds. "He is a good people person and an excellent mentor. When you look at all the things you want in a coach - recruiting skills, dealing with players academically and athletically, and knowledge of the game - he has high marks from everybody. The respect nationally is tremendous."
Fields came to Austin after leading the University of New Mexico to nine NCAA Championship appearances in 10 years. His consistent effort on the recruiting trail translated into building a successful program - a formula that has continued to prove successful at Texas.
On the course, Fields' laid-back demeanor translates into his coaching style, which involves being there to lend advice while letting his athletes play, and not trying to push a style or philosophy on them. On the recruiting trail, however, it is all about hard work. Fields is a tireless recruiter who scours the world looking for players who he believes are focused on success, both academically and athletically.
Fields has guided UT to three top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships and five appearances in top 10 in the final national rankings, including a fifth-place finish in 2003. He also has produced seven All-Americans at Texas (Matt Brost, Brad Elder, David Gossett, Jason Hartwick, John Klauk, Matthew Rosenfeld and J.J. Wall) who have earned a total of 13 All-America honors.
Texas' quick rise nationally can be traced to Fields' first signing class, a group that was tabbed by Golfweek magazine as "the best single crop of signees ever." The six-man class included five American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) All-Americans, four of whom played major roles in the UT lineup as freshmen.
David Gossett highlighted the freshmen corps, earning first-team All-America, NCAA Freshman of the Year and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year honors. He concluded his first collegiate campaign with four individual victories and nine top-10 finishes.
In Fields' first season with the Longhorns, UT recorded four top-10 showings in 12 appearances, highlighted by a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. Senior Brad Elder earned third-team All-America honors and ended his collegiate career as the nation's No. 1 amateur according to the Golfweek/Titleist amateur rankings.
Today, the groundwork Fields laid in his first season in Austin still supports the team as he has continued to lead Texas to the heights of collegiate golf.
During the 2003-04 season, Fields' team once again proved itself on the course with 13 consecutive top-10 showings to close the season, including a record-setting third-straight victory at the Big 12 Championships and a fourth-place effort at the NCAA Championship. In addition to the team's other victory at the Cleveland Golf Classic, Longhorns copped four individual titles. Senior Jason Hartwick alone scored three wins, including the Big 12 Championship with his nine-stroke victory. Matthew Rosenfeld also won the Cleveland Golf Classic, leading a pack of three UT golfers at the top of the leader board as Hartwick and Jeff Bell finished tied for second.
Hartwick was chosen as the 2004 Big 12 Golfer of the Year and later added his fourth-career All-American nod with a first-team selection. Bell joined Hartwick with a place on the All-Big 12 team, while Rosenfeld earned honorable mention All-America accolades for the second time in as many years. Freshman Farren Keenan, who at the time was playing in just his sixth tournament as a collegian, also copped All-Big 12 Championship honors after his tie for third. Fields earned his third straight Big 12 Coach of the Year honor after his record-setting third-consecutive Big 12 title.
The 2002-03 season typified the type of successful golf Fields coaches. The Longhorns finished in the top 10 in all 13 stroke-play tournaments the team played. The squad also earned nine top-five finishes, highlighted by a successful defense of its Big 12 Conference Championship - a four-stroke victory over Oklahoma State. Fields had two players finish in the top three in the individual standings - junior Jason Hartwick was second, while senior J.J. Wall was tied for third.
The team's continued success at the conference championships parleyed into similar results for the rest of the season as UT went on to finish fourth at the NCAA Central Regional in Manhattan, Kan., and tied for ninth at the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Okla. At the conclusion of play in 2003, Texas was ranked fifth in the final Golfweek/Sagarin ratings. Wall continued to play well in the twilight of his UT career, finishing in a three-way tie for third at the regional. In his final collegiate tournament he helped usher in a new team leader on the course as freshman Matthew Rosenfeld capped a tremendous first-year campaign with a third-place finish at the national championships. Hartwick captured a tie for sixth place in the final event of the year.
At the conclusion of the season, several Longhorns - including Fields - were honored for their success on the course. Hartwick (third team) and Rosenfeld (honorable mention) were PING All-America selections, and both joined Wall on the All-Big 12 team. Rosenfeld was also honored as the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and Fields was recognized by his peers as the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second-consecutive season. Hartwick's All-America honor was the third of his three-year career in Austin.
The 2001-02 campaign proved not only to be the most successful during Fields' tenure at UT, but also one of the best in school history. The Longhorns posted a total of five tournament team titles during the season, including a stretch of four consecutive wins during the spring schedule. This marked the first time that Texas had won at least five team titles in a season since 1992-93, when the Horns also captured a total of five tourney crowns. The four consecutive team wins tied a school record, set in both the 1972-73 and 1982-83 campaigns.
Texas concluded its win streak with a one-stroke victory at the Big 12 Conference Championships at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. The Longhorns trailed Oklahoma by 10 strokes entering the final round, but made up 13 strokes on the Sooners and held off a late surge by Oklahoma State to capture their first-ever Big 12 team title. UT's winning score of 10-over-par 850 marked a Big 12 Championships record.
Texas capped off the season with a tie for third place at the NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ohio, which marked the best finish for Texas at NCAAs since 1995 when the Horns also placed third.
For his efforts, Fields was tabbed the Big 12 Coach of the Year. Senior John Klauk claimed second-team GCAA (Golf Coaches Association of America) All-America honors, while sophomore Jason Hartwick was named to the third team. In addition, junior J.J. Wall was tabbed an honorable mention All-American.
The 2000-01 Longhorns finished in the top five in 10 of 13 tournaments, including a team title at the Waikoloa Intercollegiate. UT concluded the campaign ranked No. 6 in the final MasterCard national rankings. Freshman Jason Hartwick and junior John Klauk earned honorable mention All-America accolades, while Hartwick was tabbed the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year.
Texas enjoyed an excellent season under Fields in 1999-2000, when it earned two tournament victories and finished in the top five in seven of 13 events. The Longhorns capped off the season by winning the team title at the NCAA Central Regional and recording a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Sophomore David Gossett earned first-team All-America recognition for the second straight year, while sophomore Matt Brost garnered honorable mention All-America accolades. Gossett began the year by winning the 1999 U.S. Amateur title, defeating Sun Yoon Kim (9-and-8) in the 36-hole match-play final. He then went on to post three top-five individual finishes and tied for third place at the NCAA Championships. In July 2000, Gossett became the seventh player under Fields to turn professional and play on the PGA Tour or the Nationwide Tour (formerly the Buy.com Tour).
UT posted three tournament victories and finished in the top three in seven of its 14 appearances during the 1998-99 campaign. The Longhorns placed third at the Big 12 Championships and ended the year ranked No. 15 in the final MasterCard national rankings.
While at the helm of the New Mexico men's golf program, the Lobos won three Western Athletic Conference titles and never finished lower than third in the league championships during Fields' 10 seasons. At the NCAA Championships, New Mexico placed in the Top 15 a total of five times, including a sixth-place finish in 1996, the school's best showing since 1979.
He tutored four WAC Players of the Year, three WAC individual champions, nine All-Americans, 24 all-conference players and six Academic All-Americans. He earned four WAC Coach of the Year honors (1989, 1993, 1995 and 1996) and four NCAA District VII Coach of the Year honors (1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997). Fields' efforts also helped bring the NCAA Championships to Albuquerque in both 1992 and 1998.
Current PGA Tour members who played for Fields include: Brad Elder, David Gossett, Tim Herron, Kent Jones and Sean Murphy. Herron graduated from New Mexico in 1993 after earning first-team All-America honors and turned pro the year he graduated. Jones, a two-time Academic All-American, earned his degree from New Mexico in 1990 and turned pro in 1992. Murphy has enjoyed a pro career since 1988, while Elder earned his PGA Tour card in 2000. One of the rising young stars in professional golf, David Gossett began his fourth full year on the PGA Tour in 2004.
A native of Las Cruces, N.M., Fields was a four-year letterman at New Mexico before earning his degree in 1982. He was a member of Lobos golf teams that finished fifth and seventh at the NCAA Championships.
While earning his degree as a fifth-year senior, he served as a part-time assistant for the Lobos program during the 1981-82 season, before spending the next year on the PGA European Tour. After his stint on the professional circuit, Fields became the assistant head golf professional at Mesa del Sol Golf Course in Yuma, Ariz., where he became a Class A PGA member in 1986. He then took the New Mexico coaching job in November 1987.
Fields, born on January 10, 1959, and his wife, Pearl, a 1982 graduate of New Mexico, have two children, Marshall (19) and April (17).
