Virginia State University Men's Golf

Justin Parker was named the Head Golf Coach for the Virginia State University Trojans in 2021 and 2023-24 will mark his third season at the helm of the men's golf program. In his first season, his squad placed first or second in six of 10 matched and placed fourth in the CIAA Championship. In Year two, Virginia State again placed fourth in the CIAA Championship with Juan Ruiz-Patino earning all-conference honors for his performance, which included his first collegiate under-par performance on day one of the championship. Prior to arriving at Virginia State, Coach Parker was the Director of Golf Instruction at Fairways for Warriors which is a charity organization that provides hope, healing, and camaraderie for combat wounded veterans and their families. He was also Head Football Coach at Matoaca High School for three seasons going 15-11 including a 9-2 season in 2021. At Matoaca High School, Coach Parker was also the Head Coach for the Varsity Boys Soccer team for six seasons, Assistant Varsity Boys Basketball Coach for three seasons, and Assistant Varsity Football Coach for six seasons. Coach Parker also served as the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Elizabeth Davis Middle School for seven seasons and was also an Assistant Soccer Coach for the Chesterfield United Football Club ASL U16 & U17 team for five seasons as well. A 2011 graduate of the Virginia State University, Coach Parker received his Bachelor’s degree in Health, Physical Education, K-12 Education. While at VSU, Coach Parker was the placekicker for the VSU football team from 2007-2010 and a member of the VSU golf team from 2009-2011. Coach Parker was named the CIAA Special Teams Player of the Year in 2010 and was also a First team All-CIAA Placekicker in 2008 and 2010. Along with his football accolades, Coach Parker was on the CIAA Conference Championship teams in 2010 and 2011 and also won a National Minority Golf Championship in 2011 as well. He was a member of the Richmond Revolution Professional Indoor Football League team in 2011 as well.   Coach Parker taught Health and Physical Education at Elizabeth Davis Middle School from 2011-2015. He continues to teach Health and Physical Education at Matoaca High School and has been doing so since 2015.   “Coaching and teaching are my passions as I have coached various sports since 2008 and have been teaching since I graduated from VSU.”  - Justin Parker

Assistant Coach Joshua Grim arrived at Virginia State University in 2023 as an integrated performance specialist and Assistant Men's Golf Coach. He will be in charge of, and is nationally certified in, mental performance, science-based functional breathing, and heart rate variability biofeedback.   In his first season as an assistant golf coach, Grim helped Juan Ruiz-Patino earn all-conference honors, which included the sophomore's first collegiate under-par performance on day one of the CIAA Golf Championship. At the conference championship, Virginia State placed fourth. Before accepting his new role at VSU, he served as the State Director of the Virginia chapter of Fairways for Warriors. FFW is a nationally recognized non-profit that helps combat-wounded veterans heal using golf as a means of therapy. As a combat-wounded veteran himself, this was very close to his heart.  While leading the organization in Virginia, Coach Grim also created the national mental performance program for FFW. Upon leaving he became certified in science-based functional breathing, where he has become a certified instructor with Oxygen Advantage, one of the worlds leading organizations on the study and implementation of how functional breathing can be used to help with athletic performance optimization. It is also widely used to help physiologically maximize the mind/body working relationship.    Coach Grim was a three-year letterman in baseball at Georgetown high school, in Georgetown, South Carolina, where he played first base.  His sophomore year the Bulldogs finished second in the state. He also played as a defenseman on the soccer team that won the regional championship his senior year.  After high school, he went on to join the Army, as an infantryman, with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, out of Ft Wainwright Alaska. During 2005-2006, he was deployed and fought in Mosul and Baghdad, Iraq. During this time his brigade was extended by the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. After the fighting was over, the brigade was awarded the Valorous Unit Award, the second-highest unit award for valor in the military.