The University of Alabama men’s golf team and head coach Jay Seawell have added another national championship winning coach to the staff with the hiring of former Oklahoma State head coach Mike McGraw as the new assistant coach for the team.
“I’m really excited to have Mike [McGraw] on board,” Seawell said. “He is one of the great coaches in college golf. He is a good friend, but more importantly, he has a track record of knowing how to win championships. We are just thrilled that he has accepted the opportunity to be a part of Alabama golf. Mike will be an excellent asset for our players and will help us continue our pursuit to be the best college program in the country.”
McGraw spent 16 years at Oklahoma State, with the past eight as head coach. His team won the 2006 NCAA Championship and finished as the NCAA runner-up in 2010. His teams won 30 times overall and advanced to the championships seven times. The Cowboys finished in the Top 5 five separate times and won five Big 12 Championships. During his tenure, his players also received 30 medalist honors.
“I’m excited for the opportunity at Alabama and the chance to get to work with some really incredible players,” McGraw said. “Jay Seawell has been a good friend of mine for a long time, and he is obviously a great coach. There is something to be learned from Jay for sure, and hopefully my experience and background can help strengthen an already successful program.
Before taking over as the Cowboy’s head coach in 2006, McGraw was the head coach for the women’s golf team for the 2004-2005 season, when the Cowgirls won the Big 12 Championship. Before that, he had been the Cowboys assistant coach since 1997. In his time as an assistant coach, the Cowboys won 16 tournament titles, and had 19 All-Americans. Oklahoma State also won their ninth national title in 2000 with McGraw on the staff.
Not only is McGraw well regarded as a coach, but he has also been considered as a top recruiter. ESPN The Magazine recognized him as one of the top 20 recruiters in the nation, across all sports. McGraw has recruited and coached many PGA Tour players, including Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Charles Howell III, Morgan Hoffman and Casey Wittenburg.
McGraw will be filling the position voided by Rob Bradley, who left Tuscaloosa to become the new head coach at Purdue. Bradley became the assistant coach for Alabama in 2012 after he replaced Scott Limbaugh, who left to become the head coach at Vanderbilt.
During his playing time at Central Oklahoma, McGraw was a three-year letter winner and an honorable mention All-American in 1981 after he finished 16th at the NAIA Championships. He graduated from Central Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications in 1982.
McGraw’s new duties will include assisting Seawell in day-to-day operations of the program and serve as recruiting coordinator, as well as assisting in player development. He will also serve as the director of the Alabama Golf Academy, while overseeing alumni relations and the Crimson Tide Open.
