Jonathan Howard | William & Mary Women's Golf

In this episode of College Golf Today, host Kelly Okun speaks with Jonathan Howard, the recently appointed head women's golf coach at William & Mary.

Jonathan shares his journey into coaching, his learnings as a new Division 1 coach coming from the Division 3 level, his thoughts about hosting a larger golf tournament and how academics play an interesting role in the transfer portal for schools like William & Mary.

Jonathan emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining relationships as a college golf coach and staying true to yourself. He also dives into what it's like to rebuild a team culture as the "new kid."

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to College Golf Today, inspiring tomorrow's coaches and players, a podcast in partnership with the Women's Golf Coaches Association and Fairway to Green. I'm your host, Kelly Okin, and a former Division I and professional golfer. We are excited to dive into College Golf's biggest topics with the coaches themselves. We're talking best coaching and recruiting practices, their take on current trends like NIL, and stage advice for new and aspiring coaches, all straight from

Meet Jonathan Howard: From Coaching Division 3 to Division 1

SPEAKER_01 0:26

the source. Today we're joined by Jonathan Howard, the head woman's golf coach at William and Mary. Jonathan shares what he has learned as a new Division I coach coming from the Division III level, predicts how it'll be different to host a larger home tournament, and explains how academics can play an interesting role in the transfer

Learnings From the WGCA Convention Roundtable

SPEAKER_01 0:42

portal.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

Jonathan, thanks for joining us today. How's the first day of the WGCA convention so far?

SPEAKER_00 0:48

It's always a blast. As we were actually just talking, it's been kind of transitioned with the round table to be able to have this inclusive conversation of modern topics. So it's nice to be able to hear other coaches' challenges and successes and be able to help shape what we're trying to do at William and Mary and moving forward. And I think everyone really enjoys just the casual conversation. It's very amicable, intimate kind of situation. So it's nice.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

What sort of topics did you cover?

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Oh Josh, everything. One thing I brought up was kind of technology, not only stat services, but also cell phone usage on the course. Like how do they monitor that? Do they have a system? We talked about obviously roster management with not only NIL, but the transfer portal becoming basically a mainstay now. Like it's not a thing that just happens. It's part of our lives. And then anything from kind of standards and policies and procedures all the way to what does a week look like in each program was one thing that was nice to hear covered, as obviously with the William and Mary academic burden or workload that they have. It's a lot. So trying to hear how do other coaches juggle that with still trying to be competitive and being the best that they could be.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

Yeah, I was sitting in at the round table as well with it at a different table, obviously. And I know from my time at William Mary 10, 15 years ago, what qualifying looked like, but I was blown away by how many different types of qualifying there are now. And maybe they've always been there, and I just assumed it was the same everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Yeah, and that's one that always comes up every year. It's like, how do you do qualifying? And you hear like the point system, you hear the stroke average, you hear, I think that little Calciette Clemson said that men's coach is the points guy, and he was like, You're going and you're going and you're going. And literally point at people. I was like, okay, I kinda I actually like that one. But no, it's it's just like coaching, it's just ever-changing. I think what I found this year talking with some of the coaches is every year's gonna be different. Like you have to be flexible, you have to be able to adapt to different groups because you're not gonna have the same core people, like things are gonna change year by year.

Jonathan's Coaching Story

SPEAKER_02 2:52

Switching gears a little bit, let's talk more about your background. How did you get into college coaching?

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Happenstance and luck. No, so I was very inquisitive as a player. I always asked my coach a lot of questions, and I think that kind of piqued his interest. And then my senior year, uh, the AD that was at Christopher Newport where I played, went out to Lynchburg College, now University of Lynchburg, and he was looking for a golf GA. So he reached out and became interested, applied, and got it. But then two weeks before I left, I actually got a call from him. He's like, Hey, how would you want to be a coach? I was like, it'd be kind of cool. He goes, No, you are the head coach. And I was like, Oh, oh, okay, cool, cool. Um, 23-year-old coaching 22-year-olds was a little bit weird. Definitely made mistakes that I've learned from, but it was an amazing opportunity, and I didn't know if I wanted to stick with it, and then two years there and being able to go back to Kristen Reobort when we started the women's program. It's been a bless. I mean, there's not. I think every coach has it where there's days you're like, why am I doing this? But it has become fruitful and just amazing, and I think it's success or not, it's just fun to be able to help shape and provide a path for young ladies and or men. I've obviously interacted with both, but being able to help shape their probably one of the biggest chapters in their life and being able to help them grow.

SPEAKER_02 4:16

Is that your favorite part or your why to why you've duck around the coaching world?

SPEAKER_00 4:20

By far. And I think it's those times where you're like, why am I still doing this? Because it kind of becomes a lull where you don't really have a lot of progress or you don't see a lot of the development that you're hoping in players, but then you have something that pops up and you're like, no, okay, this is what it's all about, whether it's a player having a big breakthrough or them becoming more comfortable to talk to you, like those unique kind of interpersonal relationships that kind of grow and develop from that is just really cool to be a part of.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

Yeah, and

Transitioning from D3 to D1

SPEAKER_02 4:48

you have an interesting perspective too, because you just started at William and Mary, which is a D1 school in May 2025, but you've been in the D3 world. Can you compare and contrast the two different divisions for us?

SPEAKER_00 5:00

When I was the D3 listening to these conversations, like, oh, the off-season, like eight hours doing all these things and all these different workouts, and I'm like, we're not doing a single thing right now. And then we actually had a D3 coach that I knew at the table, and she brought up the same thing. I think it's just honestly the amount of time and effort that goes into it year-round, not just during this season, was one of the biggest things, and I think preparing as well. And I think that was a change for myself personally, not just moving from D3 to D1, but kind of upping my game. I definitely became a little stagnant seeing you. I'm not ashamed to say that's something I've reflected on and found that I need to do have done better for our ladies. And I think it's helped me being around kind of a Division I program. Like I've looked around at the other coaches on staff, basketball, football, lacrosse, baseball, everybody. I was like, I need to up my game. Like these are some really talented coaches that have all been mentors to me, which has been super helpful as well.

Hosting a Home Golf Tournament

SPEAKER_02 6:01

Yeah, and I know you're putting together your spring tournament right now. What's that like organizing a D1 tournament versus a D3?

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Terrifying. Luckily, in the fall, we only had five teams, which was our first event. I ever coached as a D1 coach was a home event. But I think it'll be a really unique opportunity, like not only recruiting-wise, being able to tell a player, like, hey, you get two events every single year and you get to sleep in your bed for them. But then also being able to welcome people to Kings Mill and show off what an amazing facility it is, and the great course that we're able to play, the River Course. Yeah, just be able to show off Kingsmill.

Recruiting and Team Culture

SPEAKER_02 6:36

You have a steep learning curve, but you're also coaching the girls and you're also recruiting. How are you allocating your time? What are you spending the most time on?

SPEAKER_00 6:43

The team. I think what I've told them right off the bat was they're a big part of our recruiting pitch, and I want them involved in interacting with recruits. I'm not the type of coach where it's like we're bringing this lady in and we are all gonna kind of adapt and we're all gonna grow together. Like I want their input, I value what they have on feedback of recruits because I can have a great relationship with a recruit. But if our players don't believe they're gonna uphold our values and live up to our standards and mesh well with the team culture that we have, then for me it's no-go.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

Yeah. And how has it been setting a team culture coming in for your first season?

SPEAKER_00 7:20

I thought I was gonna have to spend a lot more time kind of focusing on that, but this group has been really great in that. And it's always kind of the joke like if you don't have any drama, then you're probably not playing too well. But that was kind of the big thing right off the bat for me was we making sure that we could be at practice, enjoying the time, enjoying the camaraderie, and the competitiveness as well. And I think that has been the case, and we're able now to shift focus more towards now more player development. Definitely was kiss, keep it simple as too, but the first semester wasn't gonna try and do anything out of the box. So we'll definitely advance some things and reshape some approaches that we have for practice and qualifying and other things for the spring. Super excited.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Yeah, and then you're heading into summer. What are you looking for in your recruits?

SPEAKER_00 8:05

That's still something I'm trying to figure out because I came in and I was already well behind for 26. I think what I really tell any recruit is play in the best events that you can afford financially. Golf is just like a lot of other Olympic sports, it's a lot of financial investment that you can be competitive in, but have a good field. Like, don't go playing in AGGA if you don't think you can compete in it. That's not gonna put you in a good light with a lot of other coaches. And also play longer. That's just kind of what I've realized about the D1 as well, is like length is the biggest factor across the board. When you look at those top programs, like they have young ladies that can hit it a long way. Not all of them. Like some can get around a course with not having the crazy length, but when we're starting to play 61, 6200 yards, it length is definitely a benefit.

Roster Limits and Scholarships

SPEAKER_02 8:54

Yeah, and thinking about the roster, do you need to adhere to the nine limit?

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Yep. So we did opt in as a department, so we are set at nine, but conversations with the ladies and kind of where I'm comfortable at right now. We have eight on the program, like I think eight's a good number, but we won't turn down the opportunity to have the talent and the right fit for a ninth player that would help us advance and meet our goals that we're looking to do.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

Yeah, I was talking to some other coaches earlier, and they were saying that the only reason they don't like the limit is that it really takes away opportunities from players with potential that would do well a couple years into the program with their development. So you're leaving that space open.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

Yeah, and that was a conversation actually that camp this summer, Coach Barlow from Richmond, Coach Scott from Virginia, and some other men's coaches, um, Coach Faverka from Lynchburg. And I kind of had this notion, even though I was only a couple months in with NIL with now the roster limit, but having the full scholarships, the process is going longer than it has before, not crazy long, but those bigger schools are investing more time into making sure they have the right fit because, like you said, they need to be able to have that ability to make an impact right off the bat, instead of okay, maybe like two years in you can be developed and make it into the van. They're looking for not immediate return on investment, but they're looking for some impact right off the bat.

Transfer Portal and Academics

SPEAKER_02 10:11

Yeah, and that's I'm surely compounded by the transfer portal and always being able to shop around. So, how does that affect your philosophy and strategy?

SPEAKER_00 10:20

For us right now, again, trying to keep it as simple as we can, kind of our academic requirements make it a little bit tougher for transfers. It's not a crazy hard requirement, but having to be able to have a certain amount of credits that need to be on campus, like post sophomore year, it's it's difficult to get a recruit to be able to transfer after that. It's not impossible. It's just tougher. And again, for me, I think I really enjoy having young ladies come in for four years and be able to make their mark. I'm not opposed to transfers, but I think being able to build that relationship in the recruiting process and it only grows from there is something I really enjoy. But again, still recruiting transfers, that relationship still can grow.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

And NIL, how's that affected everything? I know there's not a ton in golf yet, especially a woman's golf, we're working on it.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

For us right now, I think just where we're at as a department, we're working on the initiatives and kind of the framework for building a larger NIL budget across the board. Right now we're not affected by it, which is comforting right now. I can kind of navigate and figure out where the avenues are and where the resources are that we can kind of get to our players. But right now we're not getting affected by it too much, but I know it's affecting a lot of other programs.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Yeah, I know. It's a tough one out there. And have any players come into your program with NIL deals already signed, or have you not had a deal with that yet?

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Not to my knowledge. I hope so. I hope not. I hope they've reported it like they need to. But no, not to my knowledge. And a lot of the NIL kind of conversations that I've had have been more of holistic, like companies wanting to donate stuff to the whole team, and then being able to, whether it's social media presence or post on the website, things like that. So those would be a lot more endurable for me right off the bat to kind of navigate the process, be able to involve everyone and understand how it goes, and then look for the opportunities for individuals down

Advice for New and Aspiring Coaches

SPEAKER_00 12:14

the road.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

And thinking about we're switching gears again, back to the coaching side. What advice would you give to an up-and-coming coach, whether they're just entering the world as an assistant coach or they want to make that change up to a head coach? What would you tell them?

SPEAKER_00 12:28

One of my favorite quotes, I actually saw it on, I remember what type of billboard or like sign outside of a building in Lynchburg. Might have been a Masonic lodge, was to be one, ask one. So don't be afraid to ask other coaches. Like the round table, I thoroughly enjoy being able to hear the input from new to midterm tenured coaches to people that have been at for decades. Being able to heal their experiences and just learn from them like they've been through it. And it's kind of as I've grown as a human, not only as a coach, but as a human experiences. Like failures are part of it. It's not fun during those times, but you almost learn more from those than you do successes. So go out and ask. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to be a little bit of annoying at times. I think a lot of people would welcome it, but you have to be able to have those conversations with people that have been through it to learn from them as well.

SPEAKER_02 13:23

And you've been to this convention three times now. You said, how would you prioritize your time while you're here if you're trying to, you know, move up in your career or really just get more plugged in?

SPEAKER_00 13:34

Uh I would say to somebody else, because I always sit with friends, and I need to do better at that, was sit somewhere different. Like just sit around strangers. Again, getting to know people and learn from their experiences, but also being able to network and get to know other people. You just continually grow your networking web and kind of go from there. It's an opportunity, again, just to learn across the board. It's a super great experience.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

Then last question from the round table, what piece of advice did you take away today that is just sticking in your head?

SPEAKER_00 14:03

It's kind of come from every round table. We're not faking it till we make it, but every program is going to have something different. And as I said, you learn from experiences. There's enough copies of people and programs in the world. Be true to yourself, figure out what you want to do and implement those in your team and just continually be adaptable.

SPEAKER_02 14:24

Thank you. A very great insight. Thanks for joining us, Jonathan. Really appreciate it. Thank you. I get to say that.