LOUISIANA TECH QUICK FACTS

(Central Missouri)

Riley Hnatyshyn Fr. 1st year Abita Springs, La. (St. Paul's School)

Payne Johnson Jr. 3rd year Shreveport, La. (Texas State)

Peyton Johnson Fr. 1st year Shreveport, La. (C.E. Byrd HS) year Hallsville, Texas (Hallsville HS) year Oneonta, Ala. (Oneonta HS) year Choudrant, La. (Ruston HS) year Mexico City, Mexico

Lake Juban Sr.

Will Patrick Jr.

Reeves Pullin Fr.

Alejandro Sanchez Fr.

Grant Smith So. 2nd year Montgomery, Ala. (Montgomery Catholic Prep)

Joel Thomas Stephens R-Fr. 2nd year Ruston, La. (Cedar Creek HS)

James Swash Gr. 5th year Stockton on Tees, England (Egglescliffe Comprehensive)

MATT terry head coach @CoachMattTerry

Matt Terry enters his sixth season at the helm of the Louisiana Tech Golf program after signing a two-year extension at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.

Terry just completed a year that saw the Bulldogs register four topfive finishes and set a program record for posting nine rounds at par or better. It was also a season that had an individual selected for the NCAA Men's Golf Championships as Sam Murphy, a Second Team All-Conference USA selection, became just the second LA Tech player ever to earn an atlarge bid to a regional.

The 2021-22 season started out with LA Tech placing fourth at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate, a home event where the Bulldogs shot a combined 854 (-10), their lowest 54-hole total since 2015 and fourth lowest on record. It was also an event that saw Sam Murphy take home first-place honors after firing a 203 (-13). Murphy ended the season tying for 23rd at the NCAA Norman Regional, which was the third best finish ever by a LA Tech golfer at a regional.

The 'Dogs also had their best finish at the Conference USA Championships since 2016, finishing in a tie for fifth and barely missing out on advancing to the match play portion of the tournament. James Swash was the team's top finisher, tying for seventh with a one-under-par 215.

In the 2020-21 season, Terry was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Men's Golf Coach of the Year. LA Tech finished with three top-five finishes: LaTour Intercollegiate (1st, -12), Jim Rivers Intercollegiate (4th, -4) and Linger Longer Invitational (4th, -4). The team finished the LaTour Intercollegiate 18 strokes ahead of second place Jacksonville State as they registered a combined -12 (288-276=564). Tech's -12 (276) second round performance tied for the lowest team round score in program history.

Terry coached senior Mac Murphy who earned Third Team all-Conference USA and First Team All-Louisiana honors while twin brother, Sam Murphy, was a Second Team All-Louisiana selection.

In the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Terry coached M. Murphy to All-Louisiana First Team and LSWA Newcomer of the Year honors. The Bulldogs placed in the top-10 at 5 of their 6 tournaments during the season and routinely outpaced higher-ranked teams.

In 2018-19, the Bulldogs picked up five top-ten finishes, including a victory at the Jerry Weeks Match Play tournament. Terry went across the pond to recruit James Swash (Stockton on Tees, England), and was rewarded when Swash earned Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors after the season.

After spending 15 years building highly successful men's and women's golf programs at Troy University, Terry began the same process at Louisiana Tech after joining the Bulldog program on July 22, 2017.

Terry spent 15 seasons at the helm of the Troy men's golf team, the final four as the Director of Golf. Under his leadership and vision, Troy golf reached its pinnacle in 2015 as both the men's and women's teams competed in the NCAA Regionals.

That started a three year stretch for the Troy men's program where the Trojans competed in the NCAA Regionals in 2015, 2016 and 2017 while the Troy women advanced to the NCAA Regionals in three of the last four years (2014, 2015 and 2017).

During the first 11 years of his Troy career, Terry had the responsibility of coaching both the men's and women's teams. He passed the torch on the women's side to his protégée Bart Barnes two years ago and the foundation Terry had built led to back-to-back Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of berths in the NCAA Regionals; the first in Troy's Division I history on the women's side.

Terry saw his hard work pay off as the Troy men's team won the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Championship -- its first ever as a member of the league -- while earning its second straight NCAA Regional bid. The Trojans played in the Franklin Regional as the Sun Belt's automatic selection. The Trojans made their first appearance in an NCAA Regional under Terry after earning an at-large bid to the New Haven Regional in 2015.

The 2017 season saw the program earn its third straight berth into the NCAA Regionals as the Trojans were tabbed as an at-large selection into the NCAA College Grove Regional at The Grove. The Trojans finished in the sixth place, just one spot from qualifying as a team for the NCAA Championships.

In addition to the team accomplishments, Troy has sent two individuals to the NCAA Championships as Tolver Dozier (2015) and Cam Norman (2017) both played their way through the Regionals to advance to the highest stage.

Troy has placed nine golfers on the All-Sun Belt Conference team over the past three seasons while as a team the Trojans set the school record for the lowest 18, 36 and 54 hole scores as well as the lowest individual round.

Four of Terry's former players are currently playing the pro circuit -- Zach Portemont (Sunshine Tour), Tolver Dozier (PGA Latin American), Jake Tucker (PGA Latin America) and Sofia Björkman (Nordea Tour).

One consistent throughout Terry's career has been his commitment to academics. Dozier earned the NCAA Elite 89 Award for men's golf in 2015, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at each of the NCAA's 89 Championships. The men's team has won six straight Troy Athletics Academic Team Awards (highest team GPA) and two of the last four Sun Belt Academic Awards. Additionally, four of Terry's golfers have earned Troy's Clements Award, which is presented annually to the top male student-athlete in the department.

Troy golfers under Terry have also had success on the amateur circuit as a Trojan golfer has competed in the U.S. Amateur each of the past four years. Dozier played in the 2012 and 2014 event, while Jake Tucker qualified in 2013 and Bettcher in 2015.

Prior to coming to Troy in the fall of 2002, Terry served as the head coach at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Ala. During his three seasons there, he led the Buccaneers to the national tournament three times, finishing in third place twice before winning the championship in 2002.

A native of Moulton, Ala., Terry has been an avid golfer since dropping baseball to concentrate on the sport in high school. He served as director of the Tuscaloosa Junior Golf Tour, supervising up to 175 children ages 8 to 18. Terry also has experience as a teacher, serving as the assistant pro at the Turtle Creek Golf Club in Rockledge, Fla.

Terry has professional experience playing on the Hooters, Central Florida/Tommy Armour and North Florida PGA Winter tours. He also participated in the 1988 PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, better known as q-school.

Born in Augusta, Ga., Terry received his bachelor's degree in marketing from Alabama in 1996. He is married to the former Dixie McCreless and the couple has three children: Mya, Alyssa and Sawyer.

WILLIAM