White Steps Down as Pirates Head Coach
8/17/2022 12:00:00 PM | Men's Golf
After 18 years at the helm of the men's golf team, Clay White is moving on.
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Seton Hall Athletics announced on Wednesday that men's golf head coach Clay White is stepping down to pursue other opportunities. White had been at the helm of the program for the last 18 years and led the Pirates to the BIG EAST Championship in the spring.
"I want to thank Clay for his dedication to our men's golf program for nearly two decades," said Director of Athletics Bryan Felt. "Throughout his tenure, Coach White helped guide, develop and empower our student-athletes to be role models not only on the golf course, but in their personal lives. Thanks to him, our program is strongly positioned moving forward. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors."
White's Pirates are coming off arguably the most-successful season in program history. For the first time in 22 years, Seton Hall won the BIG EAST Championship, besting tournament favorite Marquette by three strokes and defending champion Connecticut by 11 strokes. In all, the Pirates claimed the team title of four tournaments during the 2021-22 year and their 287.50 scoring average shattered the program record by more than three full strokes. The year culminated with the team's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2001 and out-performed its seed, defeating six opponents, including a pair of top-35 opponents. The Hall finished the year with an 87 national Golfstat ranking, its highest ever. For his efforts, White and his assistant coaches were named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, and White earned Division I Northeast Region Coach of the Year honors.
"I want to thank Jeff Fogelson, Ginger Fulton and Kevin Sponzo for affording me the opportunity to be Seton Hall's head coach 18 years ago," said White. "It's been a fulfilling and exciting ride getting to know and coach so many impressive young men over the years. I'm proud of what we've been able to accomplish and knowing that I'm leaving the program better than I found it is extremely rewarding."
Overall, on White's watch, 19 Pirates have been named BIG EAST All-Conference, and twice a Seton Hall golfer has been named conference Player of the Year. Concerned with the overall maturation of the student-athlete, White has made it a priority of the program to continue to excel academically. Since 2004, the men's golf team has accumulated 106 BIG EAST Academic All-Star selections and has seen 21 Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars, and three BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards.
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