Colgate named JP Kircher as the new head golf coach. Kircher previously had a historic seven years at Piedmont University, a Division III liberal arts institution in Demorest, Ga. He guided Piedmont to an NCAA Championship runnerup finish in 2023, anchored by the individual national champion Josh Hebrink, who became the program’s first individual gold medalist.
During his time at Piedmont, Kircher led his teams to three NCAA tournament appearances with six tournament championships and 14 individual medalist honors. His teams broke the program’s 18-, 36-, and 54-hole records and finished in the top 10 nationally in three of the last four years, including a No. 4 final ranking in 2023.
The 2023 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Coach of the Year, Kircher developed seven All-America honorees, nine All-Region selections, 10 All-Conference members, and a CCS Player of the Year. Along with the program’s athletics success, Kircher fostered the development of 15 GCAA All-America Scholars, two Academic All-District, and several Academic All-Conference honorees.
Kircher’s 2021 season saw Piedmont secure the program’s first conference championship and national title appearance. Piedmont won four team tournaments and reached No. 1 in the national rankings for the first time in program history during that same campaign.
His leadership roles included chairing the USA South Athletic Conference golf coaches committee and the CCS Conference, as well as serving on the Arnold Palmer Cup selection committee, the All-South Region committee, and the GCAA national coach of the year committee.