Georgia Southern University Men's Golf

Collins enters his 10th season on the Georgia Southern mens golf coaching staff and begins his third campaign as coach of the mens program. Collins won Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors in his first season in 2014-15 as the Eagles won the league championship in their first year in the conference. Kim Koivu took medalist honors, and Scott Wolfes placed second. Both earned all-conference honors, and Wolfes was named the Sun Belt Golfer of the Year and a PING Honorable Mention All-American. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA Regional for the third straight season. Georgia Southern took first in its first tournament of the 2015-16 season and placed first or second in the first three outings. Steven Fisk was named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference. During Collins tenure, Georgia Southern has made six NCAA Championship appearances, advancing to the NCAA Championship finals once, and the Eagles won two Southern Conference titles and placed second three times. He has coached nine Academic All-Americans, 10 All-SoCon selections, two SoCon Golfer of the Year winners, two SoCon Freshman of the Year recipients, one Sun Belt Golfer of the Year, one Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, one All-American and three All-Sun Belt recipients. In 2012 and 2013, Collins was a semifinalist for the Jan Strickland Award, given to the top assistant coach in the country by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). He won the 2012, 2014 & 2015 Johnny Skeadas Cup, a points-based award involving many amateur golf tournaments in Georgia, stretching from March to September. During those three years, he won eight tournaments, including three this past summer - Dan L. Laner Invitational (67-71, -6), Boo White Invitational (65-71, -8) and the Louie Griffin Memorial (64-69, -11). Collins was Runner-Up at the 2014 GSGA State Amateur at Idle Hour in Macon, Ga., with scores of 70-69-70-70 and in 2014,  he won a USGA US Open Local Qualifier in 2014, advancing to Sectional Qualifying and a chance to play in the US Open on Pinehurst No. 2. In August 2008, prior to beginning his second year at Georgia Southern, Collins qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship in dramatic style - making an eagle on his last hole to shoot 64 and force a playoff (69-64=133). He went on to birdie the playoff hole and earned himself a spot in the final 312 qualifiers who played at Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 4. Under the guidance of Jimmy Wilson, Collins lettered four years on the Georgia College & State University mens golf team (2001-2005). A 2003-04 Division II All-America, All-South Region and All-Peach Belt Conference golfer, Collins was also the recipient of the Michael Peeler Golf Award - honoring GCSUs team leader and top golfer in 2004-05. In addition to the Michael Peeler Golf Award, Collins repeated his status on the all-conference and All-South Region teams. During his career at GCSU, he and the Bobcats competed at four regional and two national championships. Collins was a four-year letterwinner for the Claxton High School golf team from 1998-2001, earning MVP honors all four years. An active student off the course as well, Collins participated with the D.A.R.E. program as a role model, traveling to schools to speak about drug abuse prevention. In 2004 and 2014, Collins and his father won the National Father- Son Invitational, played at the Country Club of North Carolina in Southern Pines, N.C. Collins earned his bachelors degree in business administration from GCSU in 2006. He and his wife, Rebecca, were married in the summer of 2012, and live in Statesboro with their daughter, Sydney, and son, Jase. Carter Collins Men's Golf Coach   Carter Collins enters his 10th season on the Georgia Southern mens golf coaching staff and begins his third campaign as coach of the mens program. Collins won Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors in his first season in 2014-15 as the Eagles won the league championship in their first year in the conference. Kim Koivu took medalist honors, and Scott Wolfes placed second. Both earned all-conference honors, and Wolfes was named the Sun Belt Golfer of the Year and a PING Honorable Mention All-American. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA Regional for the third straight season. Georgia Southern took first in its first tournament of the 2015-16 season and placed first or second in the first three outings. Steven Fisk was named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference. During Collins tenure, Georgia Southern has made six NCAA Championship appearances, advancing to the NCAA Championship finals once, and the Eagles won two Southern Conference titles and placed second three times. He has coached nine Academic All-Americans, 10 All-SoCon selections, two SoCon Golfer of the Year winners, two SoCon Freshman of the Year recipients, one Sun Belt Golfer of the Year, one Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, one All-American and three All-Sun Belt recipients. In 2012 and 2013, Collins was a semifinalist for the Jan Strickland Award, given to the top assistant coach in the country by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). He won the 2012, 2014 & 2015 Johnny Skeadas Cup, a points-based award involving many amateur golf tournaments in Georgia, stretching from March to September. During those three years, he won eight tournaments, including three this past summer - Dan L. Laner Invitational (67-71, -6), Boo White Invitational (65-71, -8) and the Louie Griffin Memorial (64-69, -11). Collins was Runner-Up at the 2014 GSGA State Amateur at Idle Hour in Macon, Ga., with scores of 70-69-70-70 and in 2014,  he won a USGA US Open Local Qualifier in 2014, advancing to Sectional Qualifying and a chance to play in the US Open on Pinehurst No. 2. In August 2008, prior to beginning his second year at Georgia Southern, Collins qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship in dramatic style - making an eagle on his last hole to shoot 64 and force a playoff (69-64=133). He went on to birdie the playoff hole and earned himself a spot in the final 312 qualifiers who played at Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 4. Under the guidance of Jimmy Wilson, Collins lettered four years on the Georgia College & State University mens golf team (2001-2005). A 2003-04 Division II All-America, All-South Region and All-Peach Belt Conference golfer, Collins was also the recipient of the Michael Peeler Golf Award - honoring GCSUs team leader and top golfer in 2004-05. In addition to the Michael Peeler Golf Award, Collins repeated his status on the all-conference and All-South Region teams. During his career at GCSU, he and the Bobcats competed at four regional and two national championships. Collins was a four-year letterwinner for the Claxton High School golf team from 1998-2001, earning MVP honors all four years. An active student off the course as well, Collins participated with the D.A.R.E. program as a role model, traveling to schools to speak about drug abuse prevention. In 2004 and 2014, Collins and his father won the National Father- Son Invitational, played at the Country Club of North Carolina in Southern Pines, N.C. Collins earned his bachelors degree in business administration from GCSU in 2006. He and his wife, Rebecca, were married in the summer of 2012, and live in Statesboro with their daughter, Sydney, and son, Jase.

Mays Associate AD for External Affairs   Longtime Georgia Southern golf coach Larry Mays moved into his role as associate athletic director for external affairs in 2016. He is in his 16th year at Georgia Southern. Mays is responsible for the coordination of all external operations of the department to ensure the optimal plan is in place to capitalize on revenue opportunities and develop both long-range and short-term plans to effectively promote Georgia Southern athletics. He raises money and creates strategic initiatives to help fund the men's and women's golf programs and serves as the sport supervisor for both programs. Mays came to Georgia Southern as the mens golf coach in 2000 and re-established Eagle golf as a perennial power in the collegiate ranks. After a 12-year drought from postseason play, the Eagles made 12 NCAA Championship appearances, advancing to the NCAA Championship finals four times, and Georgia Southern won five conference titles (4 SoCon, 1 Sun Belt) during Mays' tenure leading the program. He recruited and coached three All-Americans, 26 all-conference selections, three conference Golfers of the Year and six league Freshmen of the Year. He transitioned to the director of golf in 2014. In that role, he started the Eagle womens golf program, hired coach Emily Kuhfeld, tabbed Carter Collins the mens coach and supervised both programs. Mays was an integral part of helping the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation raise $1.3 million for the Bennett-Ramsey Golf Center, a 25-acre practice facility with the 6,000 square foot Howard House that serves as the headquarters for the Eagle mens and womens golf programs. Built in 2005, the facility was renovated under Mays supervision to accommodate the womens team in 2015.  The practice center has clubhouses for both programs, a dedicated practice putting green, a three-green short-game area, a two-tiered practice tee, a driving range and three practice holes. Prior to coming to Statesboro, Mays spent three seasons at Georgia State, where he helped raise the program to regional and national contender status. The Panthers earned their first at-large bid to the NCAA Championship in 1999, followed by a consecutive berth in 2000, and the program cracked the national rankings for the first time in school history. Before entering the coaching ranks, Mays worked as a marketing assistant/ticket manager for the Nationwide Championship, a Senior PGA Tour event. He also served as the tournament director for Leftys Celebrity Golf Classic. A 1997 graduate of Berry College with a bachelors degree in marketing, Mays added a masters degree in sports administration from Georgia State in 2000. He is married to the former Ansley Claire Calhoun of Savannah. The couple resides in Brooklet, Ga., with their daughters, Reagan and Riley.