Yesterday, New York University's recently-hired men's and women's head golf coach, Katie Rudolph, was formally introduced on a Zoom Press Conference.

For those who may have missed it, here is some insight into the Violets' new coach:

Q&A WITH NEW NYU MEN'S AND WOMEN'S GOLF HEAD COACH KATIE RUDOLPH 

1. What was the biggest reason you accepted this position?
Everything about this position makes sense for me and where I am at this moment in my life.  I wasn't looking to leave First Tee, but I've been there for almost 10 years and knew eventually I wanted to add a new challenge. My wife and I aren't ready to leave NYC, so to pursue a coaching position seemed out of the cards. I know my love for the game and love for teaching and have always wanted to try it at the collegiate level. Not until the NYU position became available did I ever think it could be a reality. College athletics are often the windows into the university, and being tapped to coach two high performing teams at a DIII powerhouse like NYU is an incredible honor and opportunity.   
 
2. How will your past experience at First Tee be helpful in your new role?
The golf family I have built around the tri-state area will be invaluable for our teams for years to come. I have developed wonderful friends in the golf business who are excited to help the NYU teams continue to get better and to play at the best clubs in the Northeast. Aside from simply playing great golf, friends of First Tee are philanthropic in so many ways and will be willing to help our student-athletes find internships and jobs after college. I'm excited to introduce my network to both teams. Golf is an incredibly powerful tool that our student-athletes will use in their careers regardless of the profession they end up in, and I'd love to be the conduit for them to find opportunities.     
 
3. When did you first fall in love with golf? 
I fell in love with golf when I was a little girl growing up adjacent to the 16^th hole on my hometown golf course in central Minnesota. I found an old seven iron in our garage and used that and a putter to go around and around with my brother. We spent summers playing from the moment we woke up until it got dark and often so late my parents would call our names into the darkness of the golf course. My dad had a very distinct whistle, and when we heard that we knew it was time to go home because we were pushing their comfort zones. Minnesota summers stay light outside until almost 10pm, so it wasn't uncommon to play 100 holes in a day. 
 
4. What was it like competing as a collegian and as a professional?
Very different. Playing collegiate golf for me was my life. My teammates and my game were the most important things. Getting a scholarship to play at Wake Forest was something I was very proud of. I eventually added more than just a seven iron to the bag and got really serious about my game. If I had a free minute, I'd be thinking about golf or working on my game.  
 
Interestingly, I approached professional golf with an entirely different approach. I didn't play professionally until I was 28-years-old. I was working outside of the golf industry, but playing more than I ever had before. Knowing the entire job market was pivoting around the 2008 financial crisis, I decided my only way to get myself back into the golf industry was to turn professional and start exploring where I might want to fit in. It's a very unique thing, but I turned professional and used it as a way to travel around the country to meet people and learn how the tournaments were run. I didn't know what I'd find most interesting from the tournament production standpoint so I just kept my eyes peeled while also playing at a high level. I did start to notice at my events I'd walk up and down the tee line and help others work on their golf swings. It became a thing that each week I'd be the go-to person to come and "check on this" or "help with that". It dawned on me that I found coaching way more interesting and satisfying than actually playing. It took playing professionally to figure out how much I love coaching.
 
5. What do you know about the NYU golf program and what are your goals moving forward? 
Prior to taking the job I'd keep an eye on the area teams and just how they were doing in general. I love the fact that NYU is a DIII and what that means for the student-athlete experience. I admire how DIII takes the "student" part of student-athlete very seriously and makes sure the college experience isn't just all golf, all day. I am so impressed at the scores our athletes shoot and admire how they are playing simply for the love of the game. I play just because I love it and can't wait to be around like-minded student-athletes who feel the same way. My goals for the team are simple- create an environment that we all want to compete at the highest level and win NCAA Championships. Every student on both teams has demonstrated they have the ability and desire to win, and that's all I can ask for. That said, I really want our student-athletes to have a balanced college experience with golf, academics and a social life. I'll be coaching a women's team that won the NCAA Championship in 2019 and a men's team that was about to have a record-breaking spring season before the pandemic hit. I hope to hit the ground running and let these kids get back out there to compete.  
 
6. What are some of the things you do to create a proper work/life balance?
I think this is something everyone struggles with unless they make a point to make an effort to not let everything be work. I certainly have an interesting dynamic because my work is also what I like to do for fun, so that can often blur the line a bit. I am so lucky that so much of my career hasn't felt like work at all. My wife and I really try to take our free time seriously. We enjoy our time cooking and traveling, biking, and being with our dog.  
 
After living through this pandemic, I think everyone has had time to assess what's important and I don't think anyone looks back and says I wish I had just worked more. That was very appealing to me to coach DIII and not DI, to appreciate the work/life balance that it creates for not just me but the student-athletes as well.  
 
7. Do you see any issues being the head coach of a men's team?
I don't anticipate any challenges at all, and in fact think it's awesome that NYU had no hesitation to hire a woman to coach the men's team. I'm really looking forward to it and want to have the men's and women's teams overlap practices and playing schedules more often. I've coached a lot of high-level players, including men. There is a movement for women to be at the table and this is a step in the right direction for sure. There is a saying "see her, be her", and I hope to be a positive role model for others looking to be considered for positions that have traditionally been filled by men. NYU is on the forefront of diversity and inclusion, and this is just another way they were able to show it.