The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men’s Golf hires Richie Coughlan as Volunteer Assistant Coach
02.07.2018 | Men's Golf
Coughlan joins the Longhorns after an eight-year professional career.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Men's Golf has hired Richie Coughlan as a Volunteer Assistant Coach, the program announced on Wednesday.
"I am thrilled to welcome Richie Coughlan to our coaching staff as our Volunteer Assistant Coach," Head Coach John Fields said. "As a former three-time All-American at Clemson, a Walker Cupper, and a PGA Tour veteran, he brings a wealth of competitive experience and desire to our men's golf program. He will hit the ground running, enhancing our student athlete experience at Texas."
Coughlan joins the Longhorns after an eight-year stint on the European and PGA Tours.
He became the first player in history to qualify for the PGA Tour and the European Tour in his rookie season in 1997. He earned four top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour, including a ninth-place showing at the B.C. Open in 1998.
After leaving the professional ranks, Coughlan worked as a staff instructor at the Schenectady Municipal Golf Course before moving on to become a PGA Tour Academy Staff Instructor at Weston Hills Country Club and World Golf Village.
In 2010, Coughlan became a PGA Tour Academy Staff Instructor at TPC San Antonio before becoming the Head Instructor and Director of Instruction from 2011 to 2016, earning PGA Tour Academy Instructor of the Year honors in 2014.
He has worked extensively with top junior golfers of AJGA standard, college players competing at all division levels, and professional mini tour players, including Cameron Beckman, Frank Connor, and Mike McCullough.
As an amateur, Coughlan appeared on the 1997 Palmer Cup and 1997 Walker Cup, representing Great Britain and Ireland in both events.
He graduated from Clemson University in 1997, earning All-America honors in 1996 and 1997, and was named the NCAA Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1997. He was inducted into the Clemson Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
