New York University's Department of Athletics has announced the hiring of Katie Rudolph as its new head coach of the men's and women's golf teams.

Rudolph joins NYU after spending the last decade as the Chief Operating Officer for First Tee of Metropolitan New York, a non-profit youth organization that promotes the sport of golf in underserved communities.

"I have a passion for coaching and am drawn to opportunities that help shape the lives of young people," Rudolph explained. "I'm looking forward to doing this in the collegiate setting and am confident we have developed a pipeline of First Tee kids who would consider continuing their love of golf and education at NYU."  

Rudolph has also been serving as a private coach for Megha Ganne, currently one of the top amateur golfers in the United States. Rudolph won the Minnesota State Amateur Golf Championship when she attended Little Falls (MN) High School and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2015.

 A 2002 graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, Rudolph served as a two-time captain of the Demon Deacons' women's golf team. She finished second at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship as a senior.



 "I now look forward to winning some trophies at NYU," said Rudolph, who is a Class A PGA and LPGA member, as well as a First Tee Master Coach.  

Prior to her most recent position, Rudolph served as the programming and Special Events Director at The First Tee of Charlotte in 2011.
 
 "From a group of talented and successful candidates, Katie rose to the top of the pool very quickly," said Stuart Robinson, NYU's Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics. "She distinguished herself with her energy, her vision and her commitment to students and their successes as a student, an athlete and most importantly as a person. She recognized the standard of excellence that has been established with our men's and women's golf program over the past several years. Her experiences with working with a diverse group of young people from the First Tee to top amateurs in the country I am confident will allow our golf programs to continue their upward trajectory. We are excited to welcome Katie to NYU."
 
Rudolph will be taking over a women's program that won the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2019 (the 2020 Championship was canceled and the Violets did not compete in 2020-21 due to the coronavirus pandemic).

The men's team qualified for the Division III Championship in consecutive seasons, finishing 31st nationally in 2018 and 27th in 2019. The squad also captured the Liberty League Championship both years and rose to a best-ever #10 national ranking in 2019-20 before the remainder of the season was canceled. 

Rudolph currently lives with her wife Jen and their dog Sam in New York City.