SJU Gold Coach Stepping Down To Focus on Athletic Director Role

(KNSI) – Saint John’s University’s golf coach is stepping down to concentrate on his duties as the Johnnies’ athletic director.

Bob Alpers has coached the golf team for 28 years.

In that time, he guided the Johnnies to back-to-back NCAA Division III championships in 2007 and 2008, with 11 MIAC titles and 18 NCAA appearances.

SJU finished in the top 10 at nationals 11 times (14 times in the top 15).

Only one school in Division III has more appearances at the NCAA Golf Championship during the last 20 years.

“It’s tough to let go as a coach, but the last year, in particular, has made it very clear that our department needs a full-time athletic director, and our golfers deserve a head coach that can be there for them and care for them every day,” Alpers said.

His program produced 33 All-Americans since 2000 and 41 Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Scholar All-Americans since 1997. A Johnnie earned MIAC Golf of the Year honors for the first 12 seasons of the award’s existence and 13 times overall during his tenure.

Alpers was named the 2007 Eaton Golf Pride National Coach of the Year and was inducted into the GCAA Hall of Fame – the eighth from Division III – in 2010. He was a five-time GCAA Region Coach of the Year and won MIAC Coach of the Year honors 12 times.

Alpers started his tenure as SJU’s athletic director on July 1, 2016.

Alpers has named assistant coach Michael Whitlock, who joined the program before the 2018-19 season, as his successor.

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