34.5 F
Clarksville
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeSportsInstant Peay Play: Robbie Wilson ready to face expectations, winning tradition as...

Instant Peay Play: Robbie Wilson ready to face expectations, winning tradition as APSU Govs new golf coach

Legends Bank, Clarksville TNClarksville, TN – After spending the last eight years building Trevecca University’s men’s golf team into a top-flight program on the NAIA level, Robbie Wilson is ready to face the winning tradition and expectations of leading the Austin Peay men’s golf program.

Wilson, who along with coaching at Trevecca was also an alumnus of the school, has had interaction with the Govs golf program having played against several former APSU players growing up and knowing the success that they had while playing.

Austin Peay Governors Golf Coach Robbie Wilson. (APSU Sports Information)

“When I was coming up (playing golf), the program had guys like Grant Lever and Chris Barron, who I practiced with,” Wilson said. “So I knew them and I knew how good they were for (coach Mark) Leroux.

“So I’m very aware of the tradition that Austin Peay has had and I love the expectations and I love the fact that guys come in here wanting to compete for OVC championships and move on to the national tournament.”

And it’s that success and expectation for the Austin Peay golf program that helped fuel Wilson’s desire to coach the Governors.

“I really enjoyed my time at Trevecca and I thank athletic director Mark Elliott for his support,” Wilson said. “But it (coming to Austin Peay) was a family decision and a career decision that I had in the back of my mind for a while and if this job ever came open I would love to pursue it.”

“Things fell right, it was good timing, family was on board and it’s such a good opportunity to come up here and revisit Clarksville and be around the area again.”

But along with the success the Governors have had over the years, the support of the Clarksville area also added to the allure of coaching the program.

“Two things that brought me up here is the tradition and the golf community here in Clarksville,” Wilson said. “Building on those is my number-one goal and building on what we have and pushing the envelope on just how far we can go.

“We had a lot of success in 2013 in having a best finish in a NCAA Regional that Austin Peay had ever had, so now let’s see if we can build on that and how far we can go on that.”

The Governors had already finished their fall schedule before Wilson took the helm as coach, so the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate at Hilton Head Island, SC on February 23rd and 24th will be the first event for the new coach, but that doesn’t mean Wilson hasn’t been working hard to get to know his players and his players him.

“I’ve gotten to know the players here the last three weeks,” he said. “I’ve been here and figuring out who they are and trying establish trust with them.

“That’s the most important thing for me coming in establish trust with them. So they can get a good feel for me and I can learn about them and what their goals are and what they want out of Austin Peay and out of college golf.”

Chris Austin
Chris Austinhttp://www.clarksvillesportsnetwork.com
Chris Austin is a graduate of Clarksville High School and Austin Peay State University. Chris is a former Head Softball Coach for APSU, and assistant basketball coach for CHS. Chris has worked at the Leaf-Chronicle, and WJZM News/Talk/Sports radio. Has also worked at the Sports Information Department at APSU, and has covered championship events for the Ohio Valley Conference and NCAA. Chris is an avid sports fan and can be found at most Austin Peay State University sports events.
RELATED ARTICLES

Latest Articles