Michael Quagliano is in his fourth season as an assistant coach of the New York University men’s and women’s golf teams. His main responsibilities include serving as a swing coach and working on swing mechanics with the players.
Quagliano’s contributions helped the women’s team put together an outstanding campaign in 2015-16. The Violets won their first-ever University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship, captured their third Liberty League Championship and qualified for the NCAA Championship for the second consecutive season, taking 13th place nationally. On the men’s side, he helped lead the squad to seven top-five finishes, including a season-best third-place performance at the St. Lawrence Invitational.
Individually, freshman Jenni Bluetling earned UAA Player of the Year,
Liberty League Co-Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. She was named
Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Rookie of the Month (March), Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-East Region and NYU Female Freshman of the Year. For the men, freshman, Derrek Drozdyk was a two-time Liberty League Rookie of the Week selection and was named Honorable Mention All-UAA.
The 2014-15 season was one of the most successful in program history for the Violet women as they automatically qualified for the NCAA Championship for the first time by winning the Liberty League title. The Violets posted a 10th-place finish at the national championship behind strong performances from an all-freshman foursome led by Alyssa Poentis, who took sixth place individually and earned Honorable Mention All-America accolades from the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA).
Poentis collected honors all season long, as she won the Liberty League individual title and earned both the league’s Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards. The WGCA named her First Team All-East Region, while she was also selected Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Rookie of the Month (September) and Player of the Month (April). She established team records for lowest scoring average (77.7), lowest 54-hole tournament (235) and 72-hole tournament (313) scores.
By the time the Violets holed their final putt of the season, they had toppled nearly all of NYU’s team records and posted new standards for individual success, including lowest single-round score (300), lowest 36-hole tournament score (620), lowest 54-hole tournament score (958), and lowest team scoring average (322)
The men’s team’s season was highlighted by three second-place team finishes, most notably at the ECAC Championship in the fall. Paul Park earned both UAA and Liberty League Rookie of the Year honors.
In his first season as a coach with the program, Quagliano saw the women’s team record 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 then-single-round record with a score of 314 at the St. Lawrence Invitational. Quagliano also helped oversee a strong final campaign for captain Kristina Shalhoup,
Quagliano also assisted with a successful men’s squad in 2013-14, a campaign highlighted by a first-place finish at the Hamilton Invitational. The Violets were led by captain Kyle Demshki, who finished first with a two-under-par 69 at Hamilton and earned Second Team All-UAA.
As a golfer, Quagliano participated in numerous United States Golf Association (USGA) sanctioned events. He was one of eight amateurs to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Open, held at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, CA. Quagliano is also a three-time USGA amateur participant and two-time junior amateur participant.
Professionally, Quagliano competed in over 40 tournaments between 2009 and 2011. In 2011, he competed on the Gateway Tour Arizona Winter Series, which included a victory at the Arizona Palm Valley Golf Course Tournament. Quagliano is also a three-time PGA Tour qualifying “Q-School” participant.
A 2009 graduate of Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology, Quagliano was a five-year member of the Blue Devils golf team who served as captain during his senior campaign. He competed in over 30 collegiate tournaments, including four NCAA Division I Championship Tournaments and helped his squad capture the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship as a freshman.
In addition to his responsibilities with the NYU golf teams, Quagliano also currently serves as a marketing manager for Nestlé Waters North America in Stamford, CT.
A native of Ardsley, NY, Quagliano and his wife Jane reside in Manhattan.
