Continuity has become a rarity in the current state of college athletics, especially with Texas Athletics’ transition into the SEC. Despite all the changes, Texas Hall of Honor inductee and long-time men’s golf head coach John Fields will continue leading the men’s golf team.
Fields has been coaching at the University longer than a majority of undergraduate students have been alive. Some things have remained constant during Fields’ tenure at Texas — high expectations and commitment to excellence.
Since he was hired in 1997, Fields has kept the golf program’s rich history alive. He’s attracted the nation’s best talent to don burnt orange on lush and picturesque courses around the county.
With the Longhorns’ move to the SEC, the most competitive conference in college golf, little worry has been placed into Fields’ mind as the Longhorns prepare for their inaugural season in the conference.
“It’s a great conference, and we’re going to have to be at our best just like we were in the Big 12,” Fields said. “This is a bit stronger across the board, because you have Florida, Alabama and golf’s important in the SEC.”
With the announcement of the conference move in 2021, Fields prepared his team for the transition before it became official. Last season, the Longhorns played a tournament at St. Simons Island, Georgia, home of the SEC championship.
“An old coach told me a long time ago, you cannot win the Kentucky Derby with a jackass,” Fields said. “You gotta have the players and so we got to be out there recruiting all the time.”
The Texas men’s golf team has no shortage of strong players this season for a deep run at the national championship. Juniors Christiaan Maas and Tommy Morrison are two of the most talented golfers Fields has ever coached and are both ranked in the top 20 amateurs in the world.
Since its 2022 National Championship season, its second under Fields, Texas has failed to progress to match play in the NCAA tournament. With Fields’ 28 years of coaching at Texas, he has experience rebuilding the Longhorns and has confidence in the team’s return to national prominence.
“If you look around this office, you’re not going to find a magic wand,” Fields said. “So it does take some time to almost recover from a national championship, because you are starting with super high expectations. The kids have to digest that.”
Still, Fields has built a culture of accepting nothing but the best, and the players that eventually wear the burnt orange for him know what they are getting themselves into. Some of the world’s best golfers have started at Texas under his leadership and he is constantly looking for the best talent.
“We always like our leaders to lead with their golf clubs,” Fields said. “They do that because they work so hard, you have to if you’re going to have success at this level, there’s no way around it. You’re gonna have to put in the time and they both do.”
Fields signed a contract extension that will keep him as the Longhorns’ coach until Summer 2029. During that time, expect him to set up Texas as a continual power in the world of college golf and beyond.
