Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) has named Easton Key, who helped lead Arkansas State to the 2024 Sun Belt Conference championship, as its new head men’s golf coach, Vice President and Athletics Director Gerald Harrison announced Saturday.
“It is a great day to be a Gov and I am so excited to welcome Easton Key and his wife Madison to Austin Peay!” said Harrison. “Coach Key had great success as a head coach at Delta State and just helped Arkansas State win a conference championship as an assistant coach! He believes in the “Total Gov Concept,’ and I can’t wait to watch his teams excel in the community and on the golf course!”
Key has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Arkansas State. Before returning to Jonesboro, Key spent four seasons as the head men’s golf coach at Delta State after serving as a men’s and women’s assistant coach at Omaha during the 2016-17 season. Key began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arkansas State, where he worked from 2014-16.
“I’m extremely grateful and fired up to be named head coach of the Austin Peay men’s golf team,” said Key. “First off, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for providing this opportunity for me and my family. Secondly, I’d like to thank my wife for her unwavering love and support. In a business that doesn’t always give back what you put into it, she’s always been my rock and my biggest fan.
“I’d like to thank Arkansas State head coach Mike Hagen for everything he’s taught me, his belief in me as a coach, and most importantly, our friendship that I will cherish forever. Without Mike, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today, and I’ll always be thankful. Lastly, I’d like to thank Arkansas State University and the athletics department for everything they’ve done for me. Being able to coach at your alma mater is a special feeling, and these are the people that make it special.
“With that being said, the future of the Austin Peay men’s golf team is bright! We’re going to do things the right way, and we’re going to win. I couldn’t be more excited to get to Clarksville and get going. Let’s Go Peay!”
In his first two seasons at his alma mater, Arkansas State posted 11th and sixth place finishes in the 2022 and 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championships, respectively. But in 2024, Key helped lead a turnaround that saw the Red Wolves win the stroke play portion of the tournament and advance to match play, where they beat Texas State, 3-1, in the semifinals and Louisiana-Monroe, 3-2, in the title match to earn a spot in the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship’s Austin Regional.
In addition to the Sun Belt team title, Key also helped Thomas Schmidt earn SBC Golfer of the Year honors after a single-season program-best stroke average of 70.97. Schmidt finished second in stroke play at the SBC Championship after a sudden-death playoff but won a playoff in match play to secure the conference title.
During his time at ASU, Key guided five All-SBC Team selections and helped Luka Naglic earn a selection to compete as an individual at the 2023 NCAA Auburn Regional.
Before returning to his alma mater, Key served as the head coach at Delta State for four seasons, where he led the Statesmen to six tournament wins, seven runner-up finishes, and 19 top-five finishes in 34 events. In Key’s first year at the helm, Delta State finished runner-up at the 2018 Gulf South Conference Championship and went on to finish 11th at the NCAA Division II Golf Championship, earning him GSC Men’s Golf Coach of the Year honors.
During his time in Cleveland, Mississippi, Key coached four All-GSC selections, including Zach Zediker, who was the GSC Championship Individual Medalist in 2018 and 2019. Under Key’s tutelage, Zediker earned PING First Team All-American honors twice and Third-Team honors once while being the only Division II golfer selected to the United States Arnold Palmer Cup team.
Before taking the head coaching position at Delta State, Key spent one season as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams at Omaha. In addition to on-course coaching for the Mavericks, Key handled the program’s operations, budgeting, recruiting, travel, equipment acquisition and maintenance, and practice planning.
As a graduate assistant at Arkansas State, key helped lead the Red Wolves to three top-five finishes in 2014-15 and a program-record six tournament victories during the 2015-16 season.
Key joined the coaching staff at his alma mater after spending two seasons competing for the Red Wolves. During his time as a player at Arkansas State, Key recorded six top-10 finishes, earned individual medalist honors at the 2012 Bill Ross Intercollegiate, and was a 2013 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar. Key also led or was tied for the team’s best stroke average during both seasons as a Red Wolf, posting a 74.1 average as a junior in 2012-13 and a 75.2 average as a senior in 2013-14.
Key transferred to Arkansas State after two seasons at Meridian Community College, where he helped lead the Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 2010 NJCAA National Championship.
A native of Meridian, Mississippi, Key earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in sport performance from Arkansas State in 2014 before earning a master’s degree in sports administration in 2016.
Easton Key’s Coaching History
May 11, 2024, Named Austin Peay Men’s Golf Head Coach
2021-24, Arkansas State, Assistant Coach
2017-21, Delta State, Head Coach
2016-17, Omaha, Assistant Coach (Men’s and Women’s)
2014-16, Arkansas State, Graduate Assistant
