J.C. Deacon

to unpack. We are going to get to it. I'm gonna release a bonus episode of the pod for later this week because I am still trying to unpack what's happened my mind. Honestly, my mind has been blown. I didn't see this coming. I don't think anybody saw this coming. I'm gonna take a couple of days to try and figure this out, but we will be dropping a bonus epsiod to the pod for Friday. Lots to unpack and lots to try and figure out. But Jac Deacon friend

mentor and I am just a huge, huge fan. He had a player win the individual championship for Division one college golf and coaches a team that won the team championship. It's been a hell of a run for him. I'm excited. We talk about some really cool stuff, some great stories, and I think it's a great pod. So sit back and enjoy listening to coach J C. Deacon. All Right, coach,

we had you on the podcast last year. This year, twenty twenty three, see to a Division one individual champion in Fred Beyondi and the Gators win the national championship. You said, I saw an interview you said you if you could write story, nobody believe it. What a run you guys went on And I love the quote that you said, you know in the postseason, the guys just never flinched.

us on the edge of the seat. But every time the guys were called upon to hit a big shot to win a match, to play a big round, I mean we were stepping back of the number at Regionals with one round to go, just to make it to the national championship and you should win shoot sixty six, you know, on a really windy day to get even get us there and give us a chance. So just

everyone contributed. They're all so tough. I'm so proud of how much growth we've had, and to go through that and be alongside them, was it was literally a dream come true.

for you? Because I mean, I remember I was always wanting to work with players that have won majors. Brooks just won the eighth major I've been a part of, and every one of them are different, but you always have this idea of what it's going to be like and what that experience is going to be. Was it different in person and in real life than what you imagined winning one would look like.

the time. You see it, even if they have a little no. I mean, it's no surprise. We just saw Victor Hovlin win, right yeah. I mean, coming off you're having a chance to win his first major and you can see this snowball. You guys win. You guys get through it, you win the sec you get through regionals. Did you feel like you could see things peaking at the right time, because that's what we talked about, right, We talked about it, Augusta that you're like, Hey, you know,

I've got a great team. I've put a good squad together. They just need to step up in the big moments. And you couldn't have any coach. You couldn't have any bigger moments that these guys needed to step up for And every time you needed them to do it as a coach, they they delivered.

one point? Let alone three? And our guys just went out there the next morning and they just acted like they've been there, and they were comfortable and they hit the shots. And John Dubas made you know, I'd been in the around the biggest tournaments like you have, but in my life I've seen a lot of them, and he made the best twenty footer that these eyes have ever seen to win the national chair or the SEC

championship on the eighteenth hole in front of everyone. And then you know, we get to Regionals and we play that big final round, and then you get to Nationals and we didn't have a great first day, but then they come back with an unbelievable second day, another unbelievable third day, and then just kept on answering the call every time it came. And then we got to match play and it was the same thing. You know, you're trying to stand in a moment. I think that's the key.

We were trying to keep them in the moment, not letting them think about the final when we're in the quarterfinal or get past the match that we were in, and I was trying to do that as a coach. So it was just kind of one step at a time. And then all of a sudden, Okay, we're in the semifinals, but we're down two points, tied in two matches, down in the third match, two down with three to go,

like okay, now it's we're done. Where finally it's all over, our lucks run out, and then sure enough, these guys pull it off. And Ricky wins two out of the last three to go to extras and then wins them.

to beat Florida State every time you play them. You're in the semis of the National Championship and your boy, Ricky, I mean, was that thirty feet?

knew he was making that putt and it went. I had a perfect angle up behind it. It went so dead center with such perfect speed, and yeah, you know, beating Florida State is a really big deal in Gainesville, and I think as many people that are pumped that we won the national championship, I think there's just as many happy we took Florida State out there the way we did.

We've known each other for eleven years now, and he just likes to bounce the idea off me. You know, hey, what do you think about this? In ninety nine percent of the time the answers yes, go for it, commit to it. What he's doing his golf, I ques through the roof, and so I picked him up on sixteen, and I'm glad I went because he was pissed and his mind was in the past. You know, I've blown this. I'm blowing this. This is my fault. I said, dude, you just need him to make one mistake, and happy

he happened to do it right there. The Brett blew at chip by probably twenty feet, and Ricky had a great bunker shot one sixteen and then literally hit one of the best three woods I've ever seen in my life to fifteen feet per eagle on the next hole, and then you know, the rest is history.

round with Vic. You don't want to root against Vic, but you're hoping that As a coach, you're hoping that your player does something, and you're hoping that if a mistake is made the player, especially in your in your case, your guy, you're hoping they rise to the moment yo, that that happened for Brooks. When you're out there, how nervous because I know how nervous I am, right, I mean I start walking around, I get really really nervous, and you know, it's not a lot of fun to

be around. And when you're out there as the coach, how nervous are you? And how do you kind of because you've got to be nervous inside, but you can't show that to your guys.

had never felt like that my life. I've played golf and competed my whole life. I've never felt like that, Like I could barely walk. I was so uncomfortably nervous. I didn't feel like that at the National Championship. For some reason, it wasn't as bad as the secs. I think it was just getting over the hump and finally beating Bandy that I wanted so bad. But I did a better job myself of just staying in the moment

and trying. Like you said, I've got to have an unbelievable poker face whether we're up by five or down by five. My players just got to know, hey, we're in the moment. You got to hit a golf shot right now, and you know, I try to do that my best. But I'll tell you a quick good story because I totally failed here. But so we're we have two points and this is in the finals against Georgia Tech.

We got two points and we need one more and Fred Biondi and Ricky Castillio are both leading their match one up, and I'm with Ricky back on the eighteenth t and Ricky's literally in his range watching Fred in the fairway hit the shots, and we knew that Georgia tech hit had plugged it in the bunker. So literally, if Fred can hit this pitching wedge on the green, it's probably over. So Ricky's looking, hey, coach, he took it back. Looked like a good swing, holding this finish.

I can see the ball balls on the green. I think he's twenty feet. We're set, and then Ricky Pounds is three w down the middle. We're walking down the fairway and I go, dude, since you were eleven years old when I met you, I knew something like this moment was going to happen. And we both look at each other and we started crying like babies. With he still had a shot at Fred three putts. We still got to hit a shot. I'm like, dude, we got to tighten it up. I got so far out of

the moment. But you know, you spend so much time with these kids, and you do it. You pour so much into your players. We talk about it all the time, and you know, to watch their dreams come true right in front of me. It was, Man, it was just a lifetime moment. I'll never forget.

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a huge fan. Check him out. They can help you with your game. Obviously it's a team competition. But again in the say that you couldn't write this story, Fred BEYONDI wins the individual national championship before you guys start the rest of it. I mean, it's and then he holds the winning pot, he's on the final green and everything. I mean, what a player this kid is. He made the decision today to turn pro. I know, obviously with the new system the PGA Tour, you I think that's helping.

I think that's a huge thing that the PGA Tour has done. It's something that they should have done. I think you'd agree with me. They should have done this ten years ago. Yeah, they should have given the best college players in America a step or put them halfway up the ladder and give them, you know, a springboard

to succeed. Fred made the choice to turn pro. Was it a difficult decision for him having just won the individual title of having been on an ashal or was this what you said, hey, you've done what you needed to do. You're ready.

corn Firy Tour events. You know, he's all set to go and chase his dreams as a pro. And he's got some great people behind him supporting them. And it was just it was it was done, and there was no other decision to make. He's he doesn't need any more development. He's a smart kid, he's calm, he's got all the shots and I'm so pumped to watch him from Afar. And you read what he wrote on Instagram.

I mean, he's just what a family, what a young man, What a dream it was for me to coach him for this long.

and he just striped it. I think Fred hit like twelve fairways and seventeen greens that day that I was watching him, like, man, he's small, and you know he didn't hit that far, but holy smokes, he can hit it straight and control his ball and flight it up and down. So I like that. And then I got to know him, got to know his coaches. I knew he was getting great information, and Fred wanted to be at Florida, so it's just a good mix. He wasn't a big scholarship guy to start, and to be honest,

he's Fred's funny. He's got literally knows everyone in the athletic department. He's a good looking kid. He had a lot of fun his first two years at Florida, and probably a little bit too much, and so we had a little discussion about that. After his sophomore year he had you know, he'd shot a sixty five here, sixty six there. You'd seen some glimpses of it, but he'd never put anything together. And then he really decided he

want to be a great player his third year. In the last two years, he's been a first team All American and now national champion, an individual as a team SEC champion, as a team, he's he won five times. One of the one of the greatest players in the history of the University of Florida. That's that's a pretty big deal.

like he's a baller, which I kind of like. I watched him hit some balls, and you know, he's really impressive. He seems to be the type of kid that likes the big moment and likes to rise to those occasions.

as high as Rory McElroy. He can move it both ways. He can chip and putt at a world class level. You see him out there in the platelet. Another story with Ricky walking in that playoff against Florida State. I mean he's looking at me saying, is there anyone else in the world you'd rather have in you know, the program's hands than me? You know, he wants the big moment. He's the big the alpha dog, and he ain't shy.

He went four and oh at the Walker Cup a couple of years ago, and I just he's not going to be denied. If you know, Claude, if it's ping pong or how high you can jump, he wants to crush you in everything he does. The kid just wants to win stuff, whatever it is, and golf is what he's great at. And it's going to be exciting watching him him figure it all out too.

you've got to scramble. And I remember you and I talking about this, because I know Tom quite well, when we were talking about this, and you said, listen, I think there's this kid named Yushen Lynn that we can get and I think he can be a real stud. It's it's amazing you had an opportunity to get a kid like Tom McKibben, who we all thought and I think a lot of people including Rory McElroy and all the Irish kids, they think he's going to be a superstar.

If you're winning DP World events as a twenty year old, and you're probably got a good chance for that. But that door closed. You're scrambling and you find Ushan who then plays his way into the team, into the lineup and then as part of the group that wins. You guys in National Championship. I mean, that's an amazing story.

easy to talk, but you can. You can kind of FaceTime while you're peloton's. It was so fun. And Robin got on the phone and said, man to Tom couldn't even get himself on the phone to talk to tell you that he's not coming because his heart's so broken, and it was tough. I was so excited to coach him the first I'll never forget it. He was playing in the dual Junior saw him hit a seven iron on whatever hole was. The first shot saw him hit.

I heard the sound and I remember talking to his dad saying, what do you guys need this is done. Deal like Tom was just a no brainer, and I'm really happy for him because sometimes you've seen it. You know, there's been a lot of players justin Rose that turned pro super early and it doesn't work out this way. But Tom, you know, it's taken a little while, but Tom's obviously on his way when in this week, I

was so happy to see that. And the families, they're they're great people, and you know, I'm happy for him. But you know, I look back in my life and I think a lot of the times where you're lowest and you think it's all over and you think it's crumbling,

you know. You shud Lynn came on our radar maybe a month and a half after that, and obviously we had a full scholarship because Tom had given that up, and we're able to recruit Hind to transfer from USC and he's come in here and be a three, three time All American for the Gators and you know, just been probably the most consistent player we had this year, even when the team and some of the guys were struggling, you should played well. I think he was top eleven

and maybe eleven of his fourteen events this year. So just incredible consistency and just to you know, someone who expects to win and expects to be great. He won the Southern Highlands Collegiate this year, which is the best regular season tournament we play all year. He'll be playing in the Shriners this fall. That earned him an exemption

for that. So it's funny how life works. You know, you think it's the worst thing that could ever happen to you, and it ends up putting the kid on your team that we certainly don't win the championship without. Last week.

I talk about this with all the college coaches. We see so many kids that are better when they're sixteen, seventeen and eighteen than they are when they're nineteen, twenty and twenty one. We talked, you know, we've talked so much over the last couple of years about you know,

talent and pressure and how to handle it. So when you recruited this group, JC, I mean obviously you think, yeah, I'm recruiting them because I think they can be good players, and I think they can help the university and the program and stuff. But sometimes you have to be honest with yourself. Not everybody is going to be a national champion. Not every team and group of players that you have

are going to be national champions. But we talked, and you kept saying to me over the last couple of years, I feel like we've got a good group. I feel like we've got the players that have the talent to do that. So it's that talent and then potential and how all of that works. But did you really think this year that this crew could win you a national championship?

compete with. And we just had to grow up. And these guys there was a lot of poor me at times with our team, a lot of not understanding bad golf, not being okay with bad golf, not reacting and responding well, not being good teammates. And these guys really made the decision. We challenged them big time in November. And I'll tell you what. Jeremy Foley, who the ad who hired me here at Florida, he came in in February. We had a team meeting in February with Jeremy and he lit

them up and he said, it's a choice words. It's an ef and joke that a group that it's as talented as y'all are, and you guys are going to leave this school with no rings. He goes, I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like it. And if that happens, you guys will never forgive yourselves for the rest of your life. So as of this moment, what are you going to sacrifice, What are you going to put on the line, What are you going to ask from yourself that you haven't done in the past to make sure

that that doesn't happen? And I think that defined it perfectly. Ricky had to grow up and control his emotions, you shouldn had to work a little bit harder at home and dial in his practice. You know, Fred had to stay calm when things weren't going well. There was all these little things. And you know, John Dubois best best fourth man in the country. He gets none of the accolades and wins all the trophies. He's just such a

special kid. And then we got Matthew Kress, who was a part of that twenty twenty one class that we ended up getting when Tom left and Matthew didn't start really competing in golf till he was fourteen years old. As of a year and a half ago, probably didn't even think he was going to play college golf. And he talked me into it. He's a good salesman and told me he's going to be the hardest worker I've

ever had, and he's lived up to it. And forced his way into his lineup, into the lineup in April this year, and then he honestly, he brought something to our team and to our culture that we didn't have before, and that was someone who was just happy to be there and didn't feel entitled to a spot or feel entitled to good golf. He just woke up every day trying to get good and not lose his job. And that attitude rubbed off and the rest of the guys.

And I really don't think we win this without Matthew. And I'm so proud of him. He's such an amazing young man and we have him for another three years. So boy, are we lucky.

into golf? I mean, obviously, if you're at the University of Florida, the athletic director is pretty locked up with football and basketball and all the other sports that are, you know, more high profile than men's and women's golf. But was that by design to bring That's basically like Jerry Jones from you know, the Dallas Cowboys, he basically is running he runs the show for the Dallas Cowboy that's him coming in and lighten up the team. Yeah, And if the ad at Florida is coming in and

lighten you up, that's probably not a good thing. And did you know he was going to do it? Did you want him to do that? Did you feel like that's something that the team needed.

going to speak to the team. He didn't ask, and he said you find the right time, and I'm coming to speak to your boys. And I had one meeting like that myself with Jeremy and it was not very fun. I'll never forget it. His secretary said, mister Foley needs to meet with you, and I said, oh boy, I'm in trouble. And the meeting lasted about two minutes and he told me I had screwed up, and he made his point real clear, and there was not a lot of back and forth. It was a one way conversation.

So I had an idea of what he was coming in to say. I didn't know how he was going to deliver a message, but you know, I feel your dad probably has this. But you know, when he walks into a room, everyone's like this and they stand up straight and they're listening and waiting for the message. And Jeremy came in, you know, guns blazing, and it was perfect.

The timing was perfect, and I think it just kind of gave everyone a wake up call of Wow, if I don't really focus and really give it my all and put everything I have into it, I actually could regret this for the rest of my life. And you know, we never really looked back. It was pretty cool.

thing that you know Austin Johnson does for DJ. Right, you're with him on the bag, you're talking him through that. How much of that for everyone listening, how much would you say is psychology? How much of it is, Hey, maybe do this in your golf swing. And then my dad always says the art of coaching is what you don't say, and he always says, listen. Great coaches know what to say at the right time, but they also know when not to say something. So that balance when

you're dealing with guys. Because a lot of I think a lot of it is some of these kids they're young. We expect them to be more mature than they are, but unfortunately the environment that they're in and the environment that they say they want to get to to be a professional golfer. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how old you are,

it doesn't matter if it takes what it takes. So that balance of being good cop and bad cop, how much would you say you are writing that kind of line of knowing when to go, hey, you need to pull your head out of your ass and get going, versus no tough love and versus hey, come in, You're gonna be fine. It's all gonna work.

are still going strong. And I got when I was eighteen, I was one of the better better junior players maybe in the world, especially in Canada, and I ran into a swing instructor that tore my swing down and told me I was no good long and laid off like DJ, and it ruined me, and it took me probably ten years to be able to come back and play the golf that I wanted to. So I've always taken that lesson in my coaching more of a less technique and more of a motivational and teach you how to play

the game. I'm doing my best at all times to try and get our guys to think less about their technique. But I mean, I've battled with Fred big time. Ricky's on the other end of the spectrum where he never thinks about his technique, and probably he works with Chris Mason, who I know you well. Yeah, Ricky probably needs to focus a little bit more on his technique at times. But the problem is we spend so much time with

these guys. It's almost twenty four to seven when they're on campus, which is kind of mid August till end of May. So you've become like an older brother. So I think at times they're like, God, I don't want to hear from this guy anymore. And I've obviously tried to pick your brain as much as I can about your dad, and I've always really admired him because he did never get in the way. And I think that's why he was so good, because you know that at some point a change in the golf swing ain't gonna

do it. And you know, sometimes it can be a little tweak with your alignment here or some posture there, but if you're overhauling a golf swing at you know, let's say at regionals and the National Championship, that just ain't gonna do it. And you got to have a process and a method where when the whole world's watching and you're on the golf channel or whatever it is, that you can go hit that shot and thinking about your technique. I think you and I both know ain't ain't the ticket.

there was no doubt, and even Saturday and Sunday. I mean, I remember on Sunday we were on the range and he hit a bad drive and he said, man, I just don't feel like I'm playing that good this week. I just feel like I'm swinging that good that week. And I know Pete Cowen had to talk with him and said, hey, your swing is fined. Just you're trying to be perfect and you don't need to be perfect.

So the warm up when he doesn't win a major was one of the best warm ups I've ever seen him have, and one of the best warm ups from a technique standpoint that I've ever seen any player I've had, you know, have for a warm up before a big tournament. And then even on Saturday and Sunday. The warm up

really for Brooks wasn't really that great. But I said to him on the putting green right before the only thing I said to him on the putting green before he went out and played the final round on Sunday was go do your job, and your job is to go play good golf. And I feel like that's a lot of what you and the rest of the guys in college, a lot of it is what they call in the UK man management. You're managing the player. Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the greatest football managers of all

time Manchester United. I've talked to people that were in that organization. I said he really didn't do much technically. He had other people managing the team. What he was the guy that would come in and bench David Beckham when David Beckham's one of the most famous people in the world. Because he thinks David Beckham's getting bigger than the club and there isn't anybody in the world that would do that, right, There isn't any coach in the world. And he didn't start him, sat him on the bench

and said the club is more important than you. How do you instill You've got all of these individuals on your team, but they're playing for the University of Florida and they're playing for you and your assistant Dudley Hart, who I can't wait to talk to you about because I know you think he's been an invaluable member. But how do you get these guys to buy into the University of Florida golf program and also coach to buy

into the way that we do things. I'm your coach, so We're going to do things the way that I'm going to tell you, guys, this is the way we do things, and it's as much the University of Florida's golf program, but this is also my program, and this is what I expect.

very very tough meetings. We've had some players missing tournaments, and it was when this team finally decided, you know what, my guys, my brothers us doing this together, the University of Florida US winning that that would be really really cool and special. And I come from a hockey background, that sports my first love, and almost quit golf when

I was sixteen to chase that. And so I've been in a locker room and there's nothing in the world more important to a hockey player than the locker room. And it's just an unwritten rule in that sport. You learn it growing up and it's part of the deal. And no one talks about themself. You watch any hockey interview after the game, it's always about the boys. Hey, the boys did this, the boys did that. And it's

just a culture. And I love that and I believe in that, and that's what I'm trying to pass on to these guys because I think they can take that from here to a job or to their family or whatever it is. It makes life better when you have other people to share it with. It's just a core belief of mine. The problem is with golf is their

whole life until eighteen years old, it's about them. Mom and dad talks about them, their swing coach talks about them, the equipment companies talk about them, and their conditioned to think about themselves. So it's a four year process of teaching them, dude, this ain't about you. And I don't care if you don't like Chipotle. You're going to Chipotle tonight and you're gonna think that's the best restaurant in the whole world because those five guys want it and

it doesn't matter what you think. And so it's a learning curve. And I think Dudley and I, you know, and hopefully we get a chance to talk about him here because he's literally the greatest, greatest thing that's ever happened to me professionally. But our big goal this summer is to re establish what our values are and to make sure that this team next year doesn't have to have the learning curve that the one we just did have.

You know, we thank god those guys won that SEC and national championship because that was their last strike at kick at the cans. So we got to instill those values a little bit quicker with this next group and this next team, and we've learned a lot of lessons and that's the exciting part. I think. I think if we can do that, we can be even better going forward.

he could own all the merchandise. And he had like a year to own all the US Open merchandise in the late eighties. He made a fortune. So when the US Open happened at o'kill in eighty nine, every single Harmon family member and assistant and anybody that had ever worked for any of the boys or anything like that, everybody worked the merchandise and so Kathy hard she worked. There was another girl named Abigail, and we all worked in the merchandise tent. You mentioned that having Dudley come

in kind of as a game changer for you. I mean he went to the University of Florida. What was that pross like and what do you think he brought that was missing?

That was my hometown I grew up and open, yeah, grew up twenty minutes from there, and I was like that, that's the guy with the weird name. Why is he winning our home home championship? But so I watched him from a bar, so I thought that text was really cool. So I wrote him back and we began chatting. Sure enough, he's a huge Buffalo Sabers fan that has a they

got a big rivalry with Toronto. Who's my team? So we bonded over hockey, and then Dudley invited our team down I think maybe two years later to Calluci Pines, which you know is incredible. Took the whole team down there and put us up in some cabins and you know, spent a lot of money on the team and had a really nice trip just making our program better, and

we spoke that week. He wanted to get more involved, so we hired Dudley as our volunteer assistant coach, and he came on for the next three years and just gave so much time, so much energy, helped the guys with their short game. Just having his presence around was amazing. And then I guess two years ago, Mark Leon, who was my assistant at the time, got hired as the head coach at FAU, and so I asked Duds to come up and help in the meantime, you know, just

to fill the void while Mark was gone. I didn't have an assistant at all. So I had a candidate for the job in town and Dudley walked in my office and he closed the door. Well he's never ever done this before. And I'm like, well, that's weird. Goes hey, man. I didn't really know how to go about this, but I just wouldn't have forgiven myself if I didn't ask. But I want the job, And I said, dud dude, you don't want this job. Like it's long, hot days

in the summer, it's recruiting, it's talking to parents. There's a lot of ugly stuff that happens in college golf. It's not you know, there's bad grades, there's guys missing appointment, you know, it's it's not just going down to the range.

would be the biggest home run in the world. I mean, Duds, You're amazing, best personality, has so much fun, but at the same time knows when to draw the line to work hard and literally since he started and signed that contract, Claude, he shows up to our facility at five point fifty every morning and none of our players beat him there. It's hard to leave after him. He still works on his own game, he still works on his body. He has a wonderful personality. He gets along with everyone. He

can be a hard ass when he needs to. Literally, we went from a good program to a great one the day he showed up. And I do not believe that that's a cop coincidence. He's just he was made to do this. You know. Thankfully he had a great PGA to her career and won twice and has that pension coming to him. So the salary wasn't a game changer because we're not paying him enough. But he's become my best friend. We have so many good times and laughs together and God, these kids would run through a

wall for him. So's he's just been a home run for the University of Florida.

beat you. Then you bring in a guy like Dudley Hart, who's one on tour, and we talk about this all the time when we do see each other. It's like, sometimes you just want to beat these kids up against their heads up against the wall and say, why won't you listen. We're trying everything we can do as a coach to help you, but we're trying to give you our experience, and a guy like Dudley, who's one on tour,

who played the tour, you're a great player. It's gotta be at times frustrating when you have to have these conversations where you're like, guys, if you just listen to us, we know what we're doing and we know what makes players get to the level you're at. I think that's one of the things I find the hardest about the job that we both have is you get these kids that are young and they just think, you know, I'm sixteen, seventeen, I'm eighteen now, I'm just gonna do everything my own way.

No one's going to help me, and I will I will make it doing this, And you're like, you're not going to get to the top of Mount Everest doing that.

be a better way to do it. And I think, honestly, we don't agree on everything, Dud's and I, but ninety percent of the information that we talk about we're given to the guys we wholeheartedly agree on. And when they started hearing from him the same messages that I'd been giving them for so long, they're like, oh, like PGA tour player, guy who's been out there for thirty years and won twice, same things. We got to start listening

and that was the biggest thing. Even when Duds got here, he was amazed at the pushback he got and Claude he'd get it from parents like.

all started coming together. And honestly, I got to give the credit to the kids because they did buy in differently the last year and a half than we've ever had it before. We really didn't have a lot of pushback this year. You know. We put together a very rigorous schedule, whether that's in the gym and at the golf course, with their academics, and I didn't hear much complaining this year. They just went out and like you said about Brooks, they went and did their job.

Todd Golden watching us today? That was a big deal for our guys that they were getting some love from from coach. And Billy Napier, our football coach. Now, he was following every match. His son's kind of getting into golf, and Billy likes golf himself, so he was texting me, what'd you think about this? I saw the match. You know, it was funny because the before the finals, you know, he was coaching me up on rest and what to

do the next day. Everyone just cared so much. And that's the cool thing about winning in a college town. The Florida Gators in Gainesville are the only show in town. We're the biggest deal here. So coming home and having that huge reception and all the coaches we you know Tim Wall and our softball coach Mary Wise and volleyball Roland Thornquist, our women's tennis coach, has four national championships. They're also accomplished here, and they poured a lot into me.

So when they finally saw us breakthrough, it was it was a pretty big win for everyone, and they've certainly made me feel really special.

We're lucky to have John du Blois, who's going from the best fourth man in the country, and we need him to be the best one or two man in the country next year. But I'm excited to kind of hit a reset button. We're going to have to establish who we are, who we want to be, what they want this team to look like, what they're going to believe in, what they're going to be proud of, And I just think that's exciting. Dudley and I got a big, big summer of recruiting. He's ridiculous, by the way. We

just won this thing last Wednesday. We celebrate a little bit Thursday when we come home. He calls me Friday night, he goes, dude, you're going to kill me. But I got to go to Indianapolis and recruit. There's a couple of people playing in the Junior Invitational, the Pete de Junior, and I got to go see him, and we got to keep getting better and It's like, dude, this is why we're good because you're wanting to do stuff like this. He can't, can't shut it off, and so we're excited.

It's a different challenge, but ready to get after it with this new squad.

and this is full circle for you, right. I mean, this is a kid that you were an assistant, You watched him as a as a as a as a college player, then you've continued to still work with him. He's had success. But then to win Arnold Palmer's tournament bay Hill three year exemption that that had to be an amazing moment for you because you're working with him while he was in college and then to see him win his first PGA Tour event, that's a huge feather in your cap. How good do you think Kurt can be?

him because he was humble, hard working kid. He'd do what ever he asked, and he just kept getting better in college and stumbled a little bit when he first turned pro, and that's when he came to me. I think back in twenty seventeen or twenty eighteen, like, coach, what's going on? Can you help me? Because I'm not playing like I used to. And it's funny because our relationship started as just battling on the course. I was the twenty seven year old assistant coach. We played golf

like three times a week. Just I was trying to kick his ass and he's trying to kick mine. So it was a very competitive start. But what Kurt has is sure if I can fully put my finger on it, but he's the toughest kid that I've probably ever met who plays golf, rises to the occasion in the big moments. He's never scared of a thing. He's not scared of hard work, sacrifice, doing the extra things that are needed.

And to watch him win that tournament, I mean he was coming down the back nine, Rory Patton, there was everyone in there. It was a packed leaderboard, Kepka, he was not kept obviously, but he was playing with Victor Hoblin, Jordan Speet was on the leaderboard. It was all loaded and for him to come through was like perfect for him. He had to make that two putt on the final green at bay Hill and almost almost made it, hung it on the lip. But he's just that tough son

of a gun. And uh yeah, watching him get this good. He played great at the PGA, you know Brooks one, but Kitty had. He finished in the top five there and he just continues to impress and get better. And there's not many guys that are going to outwork him and want to be better than he does. So watching that happen and being able to pass that on to my guys, Look, you don't have to be good right

now when you're eighteen nineteen. Kurt was terrible, but you got to do what he did, and that's get in the gym, that's get good grades, that's treat people with respect. That's doing everything right that he's done, and that's how you've become a great twenty seven year old or thirty year old like he is. So couldn't be more proud.

they were on Ryder Cups. Do you think that has been a huge, huge piece of the puzzle that has helped him get to this this point?

awesome caddy, he had to let him go. And I think Kurt just had had matured to a point where he realized him and Brian were too close, too good at friends, and it became just too much of a personal thing on the golf course instead of business. And Tuck had had been interested in caddying for Kirk for a while and he's just brought a level of professionalism and he knows how to draw the line. A great

story of accountability and and uh. And with Kurt, they're at Bay Hill and it was on number thirty team that twelve thirteen. That's short part four. The water on the right, yeah exactly.

a business deal. I'm gonna make you a better player, but don't come at me when you hit a shot like that. That ain't on me. And I think that really helped Kurt obviously right there. You know, I remember hearing some stories from the two of them coming down the stretch. I asked him what he said to him after he made that triple bogie in the final round on number nine, and Tim said, man, I didn't say anything. He goes, He came up to me and said, I'm fine. I'm playing so good. I just towed it and it

went out of balance by an inch. I'm good, dude, And it was, you know, Tim just given him confidence and obviously he's been been in those big moments. I remember he told them on eighteen at Bayhill that he needed to slow down and that the TV wasn't going to go anywhere without them and just you know, kind of made him laugh in the moment. So he's been incredible and he's really helped me. Tuck's an awesome guy.

He loves golf and he's really really smart about the process of making a player better, and he's taught me a lot, just you know, about air density and how far the ball goes. I you know, we figured it out so much faster this year in Arizona with it being one hundred degree heat in that twenty five hundred elevation. The process that Tim gave me to figure out those

numbers and make the calculations. I absolutely don't think there's a coincidence there with our team, you know, playing so well all week.

what have you learned? And how are you better today than you were when you were just starting in fourteen. And if you could go back and talk to yourself in fourteen, having known what you know now, what would be the number one thing that you would say?

didn't see in myself. But they hired me, and I think one of the greatest things that ever happened to me was it gave me access to the coaching room at Florida. And I mentioned them earlier, but Tim Walton, Mary Wise, Mouse Holloway, Brian Shelton, all these Hall of Fame coaches that are here at Florida coaching their own sport. I got to learn and listen of how they deal

with different circumstances. And that's what this job is is it's getting these guys to unite and come together and be a team and play at the highest level at the right times. And I learned all these tricks and it it accelerated my learning curve by so far. And there's no way we become the program we have without me being able to be around those great coaches. And it was, you know, a game changer to be in

that room. And I think if I could go back and give myself one piece of advice, it would probably be I don't know, it's such a great question. I've just changed so much. I'm not even remotely the same person. But so I got my wife scrambling because I got my little boy crying here. I didn't have three kids either when I started doing this. But I think just the patient's part of it, and how important the process is.

I think that's the biggest thing. I've always been a competitor and wanted success now, and unfortunately, as you know in golf, it success usually doesn't come on our time, and it doesn't come when we think it's going to come. So just being patient and doing the right things every day. And I love what you said about ten thousand hours.

I'm the biggest believer in that, and those junior golfers out there that are listening, there is nothing that you can do that were places hard work and the only hours out on the range or out on the chipping chipping green or putting green where you're by yourself, putting in that time and learning those little things about yourself. That's how you're going to become good. And you know, I just I'm not the smartest guy, but I know how to work hard. And my dad instilled that me.

He he always told me you don't have to be the smartest guy in the room, but if you know you're not, you better outwork that guy who's smarter than you. And he taught me that at a young age and it served me really well in this in this gig.

it and q needed it. But you're a You're a hell of a coach, and I admire you and I've I've learned a lot watching how you do it and how you bring other sports into coaching golf and uh, no surprise, your boys are kicking ass at the highest level.

an amazing, amazing history. So many players playing on the PGA Tour have come out of that program, and I think you're going to see these kids that just won this national championship that are turning pro. I'm definitely going to follow him on the corn Ferry and I definitely think we will see them playing on the PGA Tour very very soon. So congrats to j. C. Deacon and to the assistant Dudley Hart, because they got it done. And that's got to be one of the best programs in the country.