JP Kircher was named Colgate's head golf coach in August 2023.
Kircher ascended Division III Piedmont to new heights during his seven years at the helm. He guided the team to an NCAA Championship runner-up 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.
Unprecedented Success
Kircher, the 2023 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Coach of the Year, 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.
Leadership Roles
In addition to the program's success, Kircher helped design and build an indoor golf putting green and indoor simulator for Piedmont's men's and women's golf teams. His efforts included materials research and fundraising for the project. Kircher's leadership roles included serving on the Arnold Palmer Cup Selection committee, Chair of the USA South Conference Golf Coaches committee as well as the CCS Conference Chair, and All-Region and GCAA National Coach of the Year committees.
Prior to Piedmont
Prior to taking the head coaching role at Piedmont, the Rochester native served eight years as the Co-Director of the Monroe Invitational Championship in Pittsford, N.Y. There, he joined Keith Williams and his father, who played Division I golf at Auburn University, directing one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur tournaments in the country.
Playing Career
Kircher was a three-time All-South Region selection by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and would later go on to take All-American status in back-to-back seasons (2009, 2010) for his play at Huntingdon College in Alabama. He helped the Hawks to one of the storied program's best finishes in the NCAA Division III National Championship with a third-place showing in 2010.
In four showings at the NCAA Championship during his collegiate career, Kircher three times finished in the top 32 individually, including a career-best top 20 finish in 2010. Additionally, he helped Huntingdon to a pair of eighth-place finishes, a sixth-place spot, and a third-place showing as a team in the NCAAs as well.
Personal Background
A 2011 graduate of Huntingdon College, Kircher earned his bachelor's degree in Communication Studies.
