Tom Knecht just completed his first season as head coach of the Westmont men's and women's golf teams, which competed in their inaugural seasons this past year.
Knecht led the Westmont women to its first ever tournament title with a first place finish at the William Jessup Fall Invitational. In total, both the Warrior men and women finished in the top-three at three different tournaments.
Westmont hosted its first ever golf tournament, the Westmont Invitational, in February 2020 at Sandpiper Golf Course in Goleta. The Westmont men placed second, the team's best finish at a tournament in its first season.
The college announced the addition of men's and women's golf in August 2018, beginning with the 2019-20 season. Westmont Athletic Director Dave Odell named Knecht as the program's inaugural head coach in early December 2018.
"Coach Knecht is a valued member of the Westmont community and a beloved professor," said Odell. "He is also a huge supporter of Westmont athletics and quite a golfer."
"Starting new athletic programs is never easy," Knecht said at the time of his hiring. "But I can't imagine stepping into a better situation. We have an amazing college and nearly perfect weather—and we'll play on some of the best courses in the country."
In addition to his coaching duties, Knecht is also a Professor of Political Science at Westmont, where he began teaching in 2009.
"I am excited about applying some of my disciplinary knowledge to coaching," Knecht observed. "At first blush, it might not seem like political science has anything to do with golf. However, I do work in quantitative methods and political psychology. Certainly, data analytics and psychology are huge in golf."
Knecht earned his doctorate at UC Santa Barbara, and he has taught courses in American government, international politics and research methods at Westmont for the past decade. His current research examines the politics of sports. He graduated from Stanford University, where he played for the Cardinal football team.
"There is a strong tradition of winning at Westmont, and my goal will always be to win the Golden State Athletic Conference title and compete in the NAIA National Championships," said Knecht, who has already begun recruiting student athletes. "More than wins or losses, however, I want our program to develop men and women of character. I want my student-athletes to grow spiritually, emotionally and intellectually during their time at Westmont. I also want our teams to have fun. Sports can become a grind for college athletes, but I want my players to remember that golf is fun.
"I learned some great lessons playing under some great coaches, including Bill Walsh and Denny Green," said Knecht. "The first was the importance of organization. The second is to learn how to compete. At Stanford, we were so used to competing on the practice field that it took a lot of stress out of the game. Both principles apply to golf. When my players have a stressful moment in competition— say a four-foot putt to win a match—I want them to feel a sense of calm from having made that same pressure putt in practice. Focused preparation is key to success."
Knecht lives in Santa Barbara with his wife Nicole and their two children - Jake (17) and Annie (14).
