Brad Johnson is in his second season as the Head Coach of the New York University men’s and women’s golf teams. This is his second stint at NYU, having previously served as an assistant coach of the teams during the 2012-13 season.
In his first season back with the Violets, the women completed the campaign ranked fourth in NCAA Division III according to Golfstat.com. Qualifying for the NCAA Championship for the third consecutive year, the Violets finished a best-ever fifth under Johnson’s direction.
It was also a strong regular-season, as NYU finished among the top-five in each of its 12 tournaments, winning six of them including the Liberty League Championship and the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship.
The women were showered with many awards throughout the season, highlighted by junior Alyssa Poentis being recognized as a Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Honorable Mention All-American and winning Liberty League Player of the Year. Under Johnson’s guidance, Poentis, sophomore Patty Treevichapan and sophomore Jennifer Blueting earned First Team All-UAA.
For the team’s outstanding performance, Johnson and his assistants was recognized as Coaching Staff of the Year by both the UAA and Liberty League.
Johnson also led the NYU men’s team to six top-three finishes. The Violets captured the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship and went on to be ranked 77th in the NCAA at the end of the season. Individually, sophomore Luke Oberholtzer earned Second Team All-UAA honors.
Both teams also excelled in the classroom, as three of the men and three of the women earned Spring Sport All-UAA Academic honors. Additionally, six men were named to Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Committee (IAAC) Fall Honor Roll, while five also made it in the spring. For the women, three athletes made to the IAAC Fall Honor Roll and four in the spring.
Johnson returned to NYU following a three-year stint as the Head Coach of the men's and women's golf teams at Millsaps College. During his tenure with the Majors, Johnson helped the men's team to its highest-ever national ranking (#23) and to a championship at the Pinnacle Trust Open. He also led the women's squad to its first-ever tournament victory, the Hiwassee Fall Invitational.
During his previous stint as an assistant coach, Johnson helped lead the women's squad to its first Liberty League Championship in its initial year of competition within the conference. For their efforts, Johnson, Head Coach Todd Kolean and assistant Matt Huck were named the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year. Fueled by its strong performances throughout the season, NYU entered the Golf World/WGCA Poll for the first time and finished the campaign at #20. The Violets also ranked #19 in the Golfstat.com head-to-head rankings.
The Violet men also had a strong season in '12-13, as NYU finished among the top three in six of its 10 tournaments, including four second-place finishes. Kyle Demshki was one of the standouts on the squad, as he earned First Team All-UAA honors while also being named to the PING Division III All-Northeast Region Team.
Johnson spent the spring portion of the 2011-12 season as an assistant coach with the Skidmore College men's golf program. As a member of the staff, he helped the squad earn its 26th consecutive NCAA Division III Championship berth.
Johnson also has extensive experience as a golf professional, including at courses such as Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, CA; Riviera Country Club in Palisades, CA; and TPC of Scottsdale in Scottsdale, AZ.
A 1996 graduate of the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and a minor in English, Johnson was a three-year member of the men's golf team after transferring from Colorado State University. He received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in July 2009.
A member of the PGA since 2005, Johnson is native of Colorado Springs, CO, and resides in the Bronx, NY.