Matt Clark of the UNC men’s golf team has helped take the program to new heights in recent years. Now, Clark is being recognized with the 2022 Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year Award, presented by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

The Strickland Award is presented to the assistant who “has excelled in working with their student-athletes both on the course and in the classroom.”

“To be recognized with so many other amazing coaches that were nominated is truly an honor,” Clark said. “It is a testament of the trust and belief Coach [Andrew] DiBitetto has in me and my abilities as a coach, as well as the willingness of our players to allow me to run alongside of them as they chase their dreams on and off the course.”

DiBitetto, who served as an assistant coach at UNC before taking over the head coaching job in 2017, won the Strickland Award back in 2016. He and Clark are the only Tar Heels to win the award, which has been given out annually since 2003.

”Everyone in the Carolina Golf family is ecstatic Coach Clark is receiving the Jan Strickland Award,” DiBitetto said. “He brings passion, competitiveness and joy to our program every day. Coach Clark is incredible at building relationships, understanding people, holding everyone to an exceptionally high standard and inspiring them to be their very best.”

Clark came to UNC in 2017 after head coaching stints at Georgia State and UNC-Wilmington. Since then, the UNC men’s golf program has won an ACC Championship and appeared in the top 20 in each of the four NCAA Championships to be held in that time span (the 2020 championship was cancelled due to the pandemic). Only Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt have done the same.

After placing third out of 15 in its first tournament of the season, the men’s golf team will next compete in the Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Invitational, which runs from September 16 through September 18. Carolina won the event last season.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati

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