Having joined the staff prior to the 2006-07 season, Matt Huck is now in his ninth season as an assistant coach with the men’s golf team. He began as an assistant with the women’s team when the varsity program was established in 2007-08 and continues to assist with the day-to-day operations of both programs.
Guiding the women whenever the teams were competing at different venues, Huck saw the Violets put together another successful season in 2013-14. The women recorded six top-five finishes, including a first-place showing at the McDaniel Spring Invitational and a second-place result at the Liberty League Championship. In addition, the squad set a single-round record with a score of 314 at the St. Lawrence Invitational.
The season also saw some of the top individual performances in program history. Sophomore Elaine Tse broke the school record for lowest season average for the second consecutive year, as her mark of 80.10 eclipsed the standard of 80.21 that she set as a freshman. Huck also oversaw a strong senior year for captain Kristina Shalhoup, who finished second overall at the Liberty League Championship and finished as the program’s leader in rounds played and top-20 finishes.
Huck also helped the men’s squad find success in 2013-14, highlighted by a first-place finish at the Hamilton Invitational. The Violets were led by senior captain Kyle Demshki, who finished first with a score of two strokes under par at Hamilton, and junior Matthew Gjonaj, who led the squad with seven top-20 finishes.
Huck helped lead NYU’s women to a historic season in 2012-13. The Violets posted the lowest season scoring average in team history (333.10) and established a new low of 989 strokes for a 54-hole tournament. The highlight of the season came when the squad captured the inaugural Liberty League Championship in their first year of competition within the conference. For their efforts, Huck, Head Coach Todd Kolean and assistant Brad Johnson were named the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year.
Fueled by its strong performances throughout the ’12-13 season, NYU entered the Golf World/WGCA Poll and finished the campaign at #20. The Violets also ranked #19 in the Golfstat.com head-to-head rankings.
Huck also helped contribute to Tse’s standout freshman performance, as she recorded four top-five finishes, including the individual crown at the McDaniel Spring Invitational where she set new records for lowest single-round score (71) and 36-hole tournament score (147). Tse received First Team All-Liberty League honors and was also named the conference’s Rookie of the Week six times and Performer of the Week on two occasions.
The Violet men also had a strong season in ‘12-13, finishing among the top three in six of their 10 tournaments, including four second-place finishes. Demshki earned First Team All-UAA (University Athletic Association) honors while also being named to the PING Division III All-Northeast Region Team.
During the 2011-12 season, the NYU women placed second at two tournaments – the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II/ III Championship and at McDaniel. The Violets also earned their first invitations to the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational and the Williams Spring Invitational, two of the most competitive tournaments in the nation.
The Violet men also had a strong season in 2011-12, tying for fourth at the ECAC Division III Metro/Upstate Championship and taking seventh at the St. Lawrence University Invitational.
In 2010-11, Huck helped guide the women to their first team title in program history at the ECAC Division II/ III Championship as they climbed as high as #9 in the national rankings. The squad added another team title at McDaniel and ended the season ranked #16 in both the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Division III Top 25 Poll and the Golfstat.com head-to-head computer rankings.
The men’s squad also had a successful season in ’10-11, placing second at the ECAC Division III Metro/Upstate Championship and posting nine top-five finishes. The squad took fourth place at the UAA Championship as Demshki earned Second Team All-UAA honors with his eighth-place individual finish.
In 2009-10, Huck helped the NYU men win their first-ever UAA Championship. The Violets also won the Johnson & Wales Invitational and never finished lower than fifth in any of their nine tournaments that season. Thanks to the team’s consistent performance, Huck, Head Coach Todd Kolean and the entire staff was selected UAA Coaching Staff of the Year.
In 2007-08, Huck helped the Violets launch the women’s varsity golf program. That initial campaign included a second-place finish in the season-ending Dickinson College Invitational.
From an organizational standpoint, Huck possesses plenty of collegiate golf experience. As Assistant Director of Athletics/Business at Fordham University (2001-06), he served as the Atlantic 10 Conference Golf Committee chairperson for one year (2005-06) after serving on the committee for three years (2002-05).
Huck also served as Fordham’s golf moderator (1999-2006), overseeing equipment, travel and recruiting. In addition, he was a Fordham University Golf Classic Committee member for his seven years at the Bronx-based institution.
Prior to his stint at Fordham, Huck served as Communications Manager for the Metropolitan Golf Association (1996-98).
A 1994 graduate of Hobart College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, Huck went on to receive his Master of Arts degree in sports management from Adelphi University in 1996.
Huck, who has also served as NYU’s Business Manager since July 2006, is a native of Ridgefield, CT. He resides in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan with his wife, Jill, and daughter, Gabrielle.
