Brian McCants Named New Kansas Assistant Men's Golf Coach

Sept. 15, 2011

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Former Newberry College head men’s golf coach Brian McCants has been named an assistant coach for the Kansas men’s golf team. McCants will begin working with the team September 21. Among other duties, McCants will help organize and run practices, recruit, and monitor and update the recruiting database.

McCants comes to Kansas after serving as the head men’s golf coach at Newberry, an NCAA Division II school in Newberry, S.C., for the past six seasons where he led the Wolves to three South Atlantic Conference Championships. McCants also guided Newberry to the NCAA Division II National Championship quarterfinals in 2011, making Newberry College the first South Atlantic Conference team in history to qualify for the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Championship twice.

McCants earned the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year Award each of the past four seasons, dating back to 2008. He also coached the first South Atlantic Conference Golfer of the Year in program history in 2011 and three-straight SAC Freshman of the Year winners from 2008 to 2010. Prior to Newberry, McCants was the head men’s golf coach at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, N.C.

“Brian brings almost a decade of experience as a head coach to the program,” said Kansas men’s golf head coach Kit Grove. “During his tenure at Newberry, he improved his team scoring average by 23 shots (from 315 to 292). That tells me that he is not only an aggressive recruiter, but a hands-on coach as well. He came very prepared to the interview. He knew quite a bit about KU and its history and was very enthusiastic. We look forward to having him become a part of the KU family.”

McCants replaces former Kansas assistant coach John Handrigan, who took an assistant coaching position at the University of Florida at the end of August after two seasons at KU.