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John Michael Cole | Head Coach

John Michael Cole, formerly an assistant coach at VCU following five seasons as the head coach at Fayetteville State, was named the head coach of the Georgia State men's golf program in July 2024.

Cole comes to Georgia State after spending the 2023-24 season at VCU, where he helped coach the Rams to the Atlantic 10 Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. VCU went on to record the lowest single-round total in school history on the final day of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional en route to an eighth-place showing, the program's best regional finish since 2002.

Cole went to VCU following an outstanding five-year run as head coach at Fayetteville State, highlighted by NCAA berths in two of his final three seasons.

In 2022-23, Cole steered the Broncos to their first CIAA Championship since 2012 and claimed the league’s Coach of the Year award for the second time. He was also named HBCU National Coach of the Year for his efforts. Fayetteville State later placed second at the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional to qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships. His top player, Caden Hodges, was an honorable mention All-American and an All-Freshman selection by the GCAA. Five of his players earned All-CIAA honors, and two were named to the Ping All-Region Team.

In 2021, he directed the Broncos to an NCAA Championship appearance for the first time in his tenure following a fourth-place regional finish.

Cole was named Fayetteville State head coach in 2018, and promptly led the Broncos to a runner-up finish at the 2019 CIAA Championship, the program’s best showing in seven years.

He began his coaching career as the first head coach of the men’s and women’s golf teams at Fayetteville Technical Community College in 2016. He built both programs from scratch and started competing in events in Fall 2016. Cole was awarded FTCC Coach of the Year honors in 2016 and 2017 and earned NJCAA Region X Coach of the Year accolades in 2017. He led the Trojans to a victory at the 2018 NJCAA Region X Championship and a berth in the NJCAA DII National Championship.

Cole was initially a standout collegiate golfer for Fayetteville State. As a freshman in 2011, he earned five collegiate victories, including the PGA Works DII Collegiate Championship, and was named CIAA Player of the Year. Cole transferred to Appalachian State, where he served as the team captain his senior year. He graduated from Appalachian State in 2014 with a bachleor's degree in recreation management and a minor in communications.

On the professional links following his collegiate career, Cole played on the Swingthough, G-Pro, and Coastal Players Tour. He captured a win at the 2015 Crow Creek Invitational on the Coastal Players Tour.

Cole attended Cape Fear High School, where he won the 2010 Cumberland County Match Play Championship.

The Fayetteville, N.C. native, is married to Emery Sherrill Cole.

 

Danny Forshey | Head Coach

The Danny Forshey File

  • 24 Wins as a Head Coach at the Division-1 Level
  • 5 at Stetson University
  • 15 Runner-Up finishes
  • 2024 NCAA Regional Appearance
  • 2017 NCAA Regional Appearance
  • 2017 SWAC Coach of the Year
  • Led Stetson to back-to-back postseason appearances
  • Including first postseason in program history
  • Led Stetson to first NCAA Regional appearance in the 2023-24 season
  • Ended a program drought of 11 years without a first place finish

Danny Forshey serves as the current Head Coach for the Men's Golf program at Stetson University. Since his appointment on September 27, 2021, Forshey has orchestrated a remarkable transformation, propelling the program to unprecedented heights of success.

Once a professional golfer himself for 15 years, Forshey's guidance has led Stetson Men's Golf to solidify its status as a contender in the world of collegiate golf. Notably, Forshey steered the team to its highest-ever ranking in program history.

Forshey masterminded back-to-back signings of the nation's #1 junior college recruit and assembled the best recruiting class in program history, laying the foundation for sustained excellence.

Forshey's tenure has been marked by a string of remarkable achievements on the course. With five tournament victories at Stetson to his credit, including an impressive 52-shot victory at the 2022 Daytona Beach Intercollegiate, Forshey has demonstrated his ability to cultivate a winning mentality within his team. Additionally, under his mentorship, Stetson Men's Golf made its inaugural postseason appearance, another program first. In the following season, Forshey led the Hatters to their first NCAA Regional appearance in West Lafeyette, Indiana. Prior to Forshey’s arrival, the program was in the midst of an 11 year drought without a tournament victory.

In rewriting the NCAA record books, Forshey's impact is undeniable. His tactical brilliance facilitated a staggering 146-spot leap in the Golfstat rankings, the largest single-season improvement in NCAA Division I golf history. Similarly, Stetson's ascent in the Golfweek rankings, with a remarkable 150-spot surge, stands as a testament to Forshey's unparalleled coaching expertise. Moreover, his relentless pursuit of excellence propelled a 16.34-shot team scoring average improvement, shattering program records and establishing Stetson as a formidable contender on the national stage.

Forshey's commitment to individual development is evident in the stellar performances of his players. Under his tutelage, two Stetson athletes shattered program scoring records, with Matt Gauntlett now holding the individual scoring record for Stetson with a 70.5 average, and John Houchin boasting the second-lowest scoring average in Stetson Men's golf history at 71.4. Furthermore, Forshey's keen eye for talent was validated by the selection of Gauntlett and Houchin as All-Conference honorees.

2022-2023 Season:

  • Forshey led the team to the biggest jump in rankings in all of Division-1 golf.
  • Team scoring average for the 2022-2023 season improved to 284.08.
  • Team started the season ranked 234 (Golfstat) and 232 (Golfweek) and ended the season ranked 88 (Golfstat) and 82 (Golfweek).
  • NCAA Records broken this season:
    • 146-spot jump in the Golfstat rankings, the new all-time biggest jump in a single season in NCAA D1 golf history.
    • 150-spot jump in the Golfweek rankings, the new all-time biggest jump in a single season in NCAA D1 golf history.
    • 16.34 team scoring average improvement, the largest improvement in program history.
    • 52-shot victory (Daytona Beach Intercollegiate), the largest margin of victory in history.
  • Stetson Men's Golf program records broken this season:
    • 284.08 team scoring average, the new all-time Stetson Men's Golf team scoring record.
    • Two players broke the single-season scoring record.
    • Matt Gauntlett now holds the individual scoring record for Stetson with 70.5
    • John Houchin now has the second-lowest scoring average in Stetson Men's golf history with 71.4.
  • Notable Achievements:
    • First postseason appearance in Stetson Men's golf history.
    • Two All-Conference selections: Matt Gauntlett and John Houchin. One win, three runner-up finishes, and one third place.
    • Eight top-five finishes.

2021-2022 Season:

  • Led the Hatters to their first tournament victory in 11 years at the 2022 Aggie Invitational in Greensboro, NC.
  • Sophomore Mason Quagliata earned medalist honors at that event and was selected as the ASUN Player of the Week.
  • Team opened the 2022-23 season with a second-place finish at the Turning Stone Tiger Invitational.
  • Junior Matt Gauntlett set a program record in that event, posting a 13-under par score of 203 over 54 holes.
  • Gauntlett earned his first ASUN Player of the Week award for that performance.
  • Hatters followed up by smashing the program record for the lowest 54-hole team score with a 34-under par of 830 at the Streamsong Invitational.
  • That score bettered the previous program record for the lowest score by 11 shots.
  • Following those opening events, the Hatters debuted at No. 27 in the USA Today/Golfweek Magazine collegiate rankings, the highest ranking ever for the Stetson program.
  • Gauntlett made his debut in the ranking at No. 48 in the country.
  • Team scoring average for the 2021-2022 season was 300.42.
  • Team started the season ranked 234 (Golfstat) and 232 (Golfweek) and ended the season ranked 88 (Golfstat) and 82 (Golfweek).

Appalachian State University

  • Head coach of Men's Golf program during 2019-20 season
  • Led the Mountaineers to a 105 spot improvement in the GolfStat national rankings
  • Program broke eight school records in his first semester as head coach
  • Team lowered its scoring average by 12.37 shots per round over the previous year
  • Led squad to four top three finishes in tournaments
  • Team GPA improved from 2.92 to 3.5 in one semester

Bethune-Cookman University

  • Director of Golf / Head coach for Men's and Women's golf programs at Bethune-Cookman University from 2017-19
  • Led the men's program to nine tournament victories in two seasons
  • Led the women's program to seven tournament victories in two seasons

Alcorn State University

  • Head Coach, Men's and Women's Golf at Alcorn State University during 2016-17 season
  • Led the men's program to three tournament victories, including a SWAC title
  • Was selected as the 2017 SWAC coach of the year in his first season as a collegiate head coach
  • Helped one of his players to a SWAC individual championship
  • Took an individual to NCAA Regional

Professional Career

  • Professional Golfer, playing in tournaments across the United States and internationally, from 1998 through 2013

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Management Communication from Amridge University
  • Graduated in 2019

Personal Information

  • Native of Montgomery, Ala.
  • Resides in Port Orange, Fla., with his wife, Lindsey, and children, Hailey and Ryan