Columbia College Men's Golf

Noah Wilson, a former standout player for Columbia College, has been named the new head coach of the Columbia College men's and women's golf programs July 2024. In his first season at the helm, Wilson was honored as the AMC Coach of the Year, taking the women's squad to their fourth-straight American Midwest Conference (AMC) tournament title, while also earning six tournament wins. The Cougar men saw seven runner-up finishes, with one first place tournament win. Wilson’s journey to the coaching role has been defined by his consistent excellence on and off the course. Over his five years as a collegiate athlete, he became known for his precision, composure, and competitive spirit. As a freshman in 2017, Wilson wasted no time making an impact, with a second-place finish at the Fall Tiger Invitational and multiple top finishes across his first year. He quickly established himself as a reliable contributor to the team, culminating in being named to the AMC Men’s Golf All-Academic Team. Throughout his sophomore season (2018-19), he emerged as one of the team’s top performers, earning accolades for his consistency. He tied for second at the William Woods Fall Invitational and was named to the All-Tournament Team. His leadership qualities were evident as he contributed to the team’s success in various tournaments, including a tie for fourth place at the NAIA Midwest Invitational. Wilson continued to shine in his junior and senior seasons (2019-2022), finishing in the top-10 in nearly every tournament. His breakthrough moment came with a first-place finish at the Ron Streck Invitational in 2022. Wilson finished second at the AMC Championship. He ended his final season earning All-AMC Second-Team honors and Academic All-AMC recognition. Following graduation, Wilson took advantage of the NAIA’s “COVID year,” allowing him to extend his athletic career while furthering his education. During this time, he also served as a graduate assistant for Columbia College’s golf programs. In spring of 2024, the Cougar men’s team set a program record, earning a fourth place finish at the NAIA Golf Championships in Dalton, Ga. Wilson got to coach alongside former Head Coach Barry Doty and led the cougars to new heights. Wilson remains active in high-level amateur golf competitions. In 2024, he qualified for the Missouri Amateur Championship, held at St. Joseph Country Club, by earning a spot at Meadow Lake Acres. Wilson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, and Entrepreneurship from Columbia College in 2020 and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia College in 2023. A native of Palmyra, Missouri, he attended Palmyra High School, where he was a four-time MSHSAA Golf Championship qualifier, with his best finish coming in 2016, when he tied for 7th place.   Coaching Record Season AMC Championships (Women / Men)  Nationals Finsh (Women / Men) 2025 1st / 2nd First Round / N/A  

Utley has coached seven all-AMC award winners, including two AMC Freshman of the Year and two AMC Newcomer of the Year winners.  John Utley joined the Columbia College staff as the school's first ever head mens and womens golf coach in the summer of 2012. Prior to joining the Cougars, Utley was a volunteer assistant mens golf coach at the University of Missouri beginning in 2009, where he worked directly with players during practice and competition. He is also the director of instruction at The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia. He works with golfers of all levels in private instruction, group clinics, corporate outings and multi-day camps. John states that his best learning experience in golf has come from being a PGA Tour Caddie for his brother Stan Utley in 1994.  John is a 1990 graduate of the University of Missouri. He holds a bachelor of science in Design Management and Merchandising. While attending the University, he was a four-year letterman with the mens golf program, earning Honorable Mention All-American accolades as a senior. Following graduation, Utley competed as a professional golfer, including membership in the Nationwide Tour in 1992. A native of West Plains, Mo., Utley was a member of the MSHSAA State Golf Championship Class 3A Team in 1986 as well as a Medalist Champion.      Updated 7-9-16

After serving two seasons as head coach of the Columbia College men's and women's golf programs, Barry Doty enters his second year as assistant coach in fall 2025. Doty officially took the reins of both programs in August 2022 after an illustrious career at William Woods University. After 22 years of coaching, Doty was named to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame fall 2025. The induction recognizes Doty as one of the most respected and accomplished golf coaches in NAIA history. As the all-time winningest coach at both Columbia College and William Woods University, Doty has accumulated a 77.4 career winning percentage, collecting 3,188 wins, 225 tournament victories, and 37 American Midwest Conference (AMC), NAIA Region, and Unaffiliated Championships wins. Under Doty's leadership, his teams reached the NAIA National Championship 35 times, earning four runner-up finishes, 10 top-four placements, and 17 top-ten results. He has coached 61 All-Americans, 24 Conference and Region Players of the Year, over 100 NAIA Scholar-Athletes, two NAIA Individual National Runner-Ups, two All-Nicklaus Team members, and two Phil Mickelson Award recipients. Other highlights of Doty's accomplished career include maintaining a winning record against NCAA Division I and II opponents across numerous tournaments, while also achieving multiple No. 1 national rankings. Doty is also a 2017 William Woods University Athletics Hall of Fame member. During his time as a head coach for the Cougars, he helped CC to a combined four AMC Tournament titles, while also making four NAIA Championship appearances.   In spring 2024, Doty led the Cougar men’s squad to their best finish in school history, earning a fourth-place finish at the NAIA Golf Championships in Dalton, Ga. Doty was also named 2024 NAIA Golf Pride Grips Midwest Coach of the Year. On the women's side, Columbia put together record-breaking performances, capturing first in all ten tournaments in the 2023-24 campaign. In fall 2022, Doty eclipsed the 200-career tournament win milestone. Doty surpassed 1,500 career wins in women's golf on March 6, 2023. Among Doty's notable achievements, he was also a finalist to coach both the U.S. National Team in the 2014 Palmer Cup and the U.S. Junior National Team in the 2016 Toyota World Cup.