GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Basketball Operations
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- Athletic Trainer ( Volleyball, Insurance Coordinator )
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- Communications Manager ( Primary Media Contact - All Sports )
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- Group Ticket Sales Specialist
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- Associate a.D. - Sports Medicine & Nutrition ( Football )
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- Senior Associate a.D. - Academics and Student - Athlete Development
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- Associate a.D. - Business & Finance
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- Athletic Trainer ( Men's Basketball, Women 's Golf )
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- Assistant Director of P.a.S.S
Bree Hicken joined the Georgia State Student-Athlete Development team in July 2014 and was elevated to Academic Coordinator in the spring of 2015 before moving into her current role of Assistant Director in 2019.
While earning a degree in Communicating Arts with a coaching minor at Wisconsin-Superior, Hicken was a two-sport athlete representing the Yellowjackets on the golf course and the softball field. She also served as a Resident Assistant and Student Activities Board director. Her time at UW-S included working for the Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks of the now defunct professional Indoor Football League.
In 2002, Hicken received her master's degree from Wisconsin-La Crosse in exercise & sport science with an emphasis in Sport Administration. While at UW-L she was a member of the women's club ice hockey team, an officer on the Sports & Activities Club Council and coached youth sports through the La Crosse Park and Recreation Department.
She took an internship with the Georgia Student Hockey League before beginning an 11-year career in the golf industry.
Job Titles:
- Business Affairs Coordinator
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- Associate Head Coach - Special Teams / Director of Quality Control
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Title / Head Coach
With deep roots in the Atlanta junior golf community, Chad Wilson was announced as the Georgia State men's golf head coach in June of 2017 after serving as the interim head coach at Coastal Carolina for the 2016-17 season.
Job Titles:
- Football Video Coordinator
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- Director of Facilities & Operations
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- Broadcast Coordinator and Play by Play Announcer
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- Assistant Director of Development - Annual Fund
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- Director of Facilities & Operations
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- Senior Associate a.D. / Chief of Staff
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- Senior Associate a.D. - Development
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- Associate a.D. - Compliance
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- Assistant Director for Donor Engagement
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- Director of on - Campus Recruiting
Hayden Mackenzie Poole was born Sept. 20, 1995 in Baltimore, Md. . . . He is the son of Kim and Jim Poole . . . Has one older brother Austin and a younger sister Courtney . . . Father pitched in Major League Baseball for 11 years (1989-2000) and pitched across town at Georgia Tech (1984-88).
Job Titles:
- Assistant General Manager
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- Creative Services Specialist
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- Athletic Trainer ( Football. Softball )
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Graduate Assistant Coach
Former Georgia State men's golfer Jared Cagle was named the Panthers' assistant coach on July 1, 2013, remaining at the position for two seasons. Cagle played for Georgia State from 2007-12, graduating with a degree in psychology before earning his master's in sports administration.
This past season season, he help guide Georgia State to its second-straight NCAA Regional appearance and 12th trip since 1999. He watched the team win the Furman Intercollegiate for the second-straight year and earn runner-up finishes at the Southern Intercollegiate and The Invitational at Kiawah Island.
In his first year, he guided Georgia State to one of the most successful seasons in program history. The Panthers earned a school-record four wins and recorded a second-place finish at the NCAA San Antonio Regional, before advancing to the fifth NCAA Championship in school history and a ranking as high as No. 43 in the country.
After winning the AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic in the fall, Georgia State earned a school-first back-to-back-to-back wins to end the spring, taking the titles of the Furman Intercollegiate, Irish Creek Collegiate and Sun Belt Conference Championship.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Strength Coach ( Men 's Basketball )
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- Assistant Coach - Safeties
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- Assistant Coach - Defensive Line
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- Assistant a.D. - Deputy Director of P.a.S.S.
Job Titles:
- Director of Creative Services
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- Assistant Football Strength Coach
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Director of Golf
- Title / Head Coach
Long-time professional golfer Joe Inman, who enjoyed success on the PGA and Champions Tours, spent nine years as head coach of the Georgia State men's program before becoming the director of golf before the 2017-18 season. After two seasons as Director of Golf, he formally retired in June 2019.
For his contributions to the game, he was inducted into the GSGA Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in January 2017.
In 2016-17, Inman guided Georgia State to its eighth conference championship and fourth-straight NCAA Regional appearance. It was the second Sun Belt title since 2014 for the Panthers who topped in-state rival Georgia Southern 3-2 in the Match Play Final. For his efforts, he was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year for the second time, also earning the honor in 2014.
During that year, he guided Alex Herrmann to a second-straight All-Sun Belt First Team honor, while Nathan Mallonee (Second Team) and Nick Budd (Third Team) also were recognized. Herrmann (First Team), Budd (Second Team) and Severin Soller (Third Team) would be honored by the Sun Belt in 2017-18.
During the 2015-16 season, he led the team to a win at the Cabo del Sol Intercollegiate during the fall, before the squad won a third-straight Furman Intercollegiate during the spring. He also guided senior JJ Grey to Sun Belt Golfer of the Year honors, while Alex and Max Herrmann also earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors.
During 2014-15, the squad won the Furman Intercollegiate for the second year in a row and he watched four Panthers earn all-conference honors, including JJ Grey who as recognized with first-team honors for the third-straight year.
However, it was the 2013-14 year that was his most successful as he guided the Panthers to a school-record four wins, a second-place finish at the NCAA San Antonio Regional and a ranking as high as No. 43 in the country en route to the school's fifth NCAA Championship appearance where GSU finished 22nd.
After winning the AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic in the fall, Georgia State earned a school-first back-to-back-to-back wins to end the spring, taking the titles of the Furman Intercollegiate, Irish Creek Collegiate and Sun Belt Conference Championship. After winning the conference title, he was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year.
Under Inman's guidance, Georgia State made its second appearance in an NCAA Regional in 2014. The second-place finish was the best in school history as he watched senior Tyler Gruca finish third, the best result by an individual in NCAA Regional play in program history.
Inman guided the team to a one-stroke win at the conference championship and was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year by his peers. Three Panthers earned all-conference honors, including a pair on the first team.
Inman had led the Panthers to back-to-back conference runner-up finishes entering 2013-14 and helped J.J. Grey become the sixth Panther in program history to earn All-America honors in 2012-13.
In his first year, Inman took the Panthers to the NCAA Regional in 2009, as the Panthers reached the postseason for the 10th time in 12 years. Inman led Georgia State to a sixth-place finish, just one position shy of qualifying for the NCAA Championship.
Georgia State earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Regional after finishing second at the CAA Championship in a one-hole playoff to VCU. Under Inman, three Panthers earned all-conference mentions, including Tom Sherreard, who earned the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, and freshman Allen John, who finished as a medalist at the CAA Championship and earned rookie-of-the-year honors.
In his second season, Inman watched as Sherreard earned his third straight CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor and advanced as an individual to the NCAA Regional after earning All-CAA accolades. His squad finished the fall with the highest GPA among all GSU male squads.
During the 2011-12 season, the squad peaked at the right time, finishing second in its final CAA Championship. Inman watched as Davin White earned CAA Rookie-of-the-Year honors after another freshman, Damon Stephenson, took low medalist honors at the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate, an event GSU won by six strokes.
He also led the efforts for the highly successful AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic at Berkeley Hills Country Club. The event was a great success as teams raved and it now has quickly become one of the top tournaments in the southeast each fall.
Spanning more than 25 years, Inman's pro playing career included four victories, one on the PGA Tour and three on the Champions Tour. He had nearly 100 top-25 finishes on each circuit, and his career earnings totaled over $5 million.
Inman's career on the PGA Tour included playing in 329 events, highlighted by a victory in the 1976 Kemper Open. He also posted three runner-up finishes and four third-place showings on the PGA Tour, along with 32 top 10-performances and 98 finishes in the top 25.
After working as a sales representative for PING from 1989-97, Inman began playing on the Champions Tour in 1998. He owns three tournament titles, winning the Pacific Bell Open in 1998 and 1999 and the SBC Open in 2000. He also compiled two runner-up finishes, three third-place efforts, 33 top-10 showings, and 88 top-25 performances while missing only seven cuts in 276 events on the senior circuit.
Inman has been heavily involved in the community and charitable activities, particularly in the Atlanta area. He serves on the board of directors of First Tee Atlanta, and he founded the Larry Nelson-Joe Inman Foundation to support youth golf initiatives.
As a collegian, Inman was a three-time All-American at Wake Forest, earning first-team honors in 1969 following second-team accolades in 1968 and honorable mention recognition in 1967. Playing on powerhouse teams under legendary coach Jesse Haddock, Inman helped the Demon Deacons to three straight Atlantic Coast Conference titles and top-three NCAA finishes in 1968 and 1969. His college teammates included future PGA Tour standouts Lanny Wadkins and Leonard Thompson.
He graduated from Wake Forest in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in history and turned pro in 1972.
Inman, 71, and his wife, Nancy, reside in Marietta, Ga., and have three children: Craig, Sally and Kate. His younger brother, John Inman, is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, current member of the Champions Tour and former head coach at North Carolina.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Nickels
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Formerly an Assistant Coach
- Title / Head Coach
John Michael Cole, formerly an assistant coach at VCU following five seasons as the head coach at Fayetteville State, was named the head coach of the Georgia State men's golf program in July 2024.
Cole comes to Georgia State after spending the 2023-24 season at VCU, where he helped coach the Rams to the Atlantic 10 Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. VCU went on to record the lowest single-round total in school history on the final day of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional en route to an eighth-place showing, the program's best regional finish since 2002.
Cole went to VCU following an outstanding five-year run as head coach at Fayetteville State, highlighted by NCAA berths in two of his final three seasons.
In 2022-23, Cole steered the Broncos to their first CIAA Championship since 2012 and claimed the league's Coach of the Year award for the second time. He was also named HBCU National Coach of the Year for his efforts. Fayetteville State later placed second at the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional to qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships. His top player, Caden Hodges, was an honorable mention All-American and an All-Freshman selection by the GCAA. Five of his players earned All-CIAA honors, and two were named to the Ping All-Region Team.
In 2021, he directed the Broncos to an NCAA Championship appearance for the first time in his tenure following a fourth-place regional finish.
Cole was named Fayetteville State head coach in 2018, and promptly led the Broncos to a runner-up finish at the 2019 CIAA Championship, the program's best showing in seven years.
He began his coaching career as the first head coach of the men's and women's golf teams at Fayetteville Technical Community College in 2016. He built both programs from scratch and started competing in events in Fall 2016. Cole was awarded FTCC Coach of the Year honors in 2016 and 2017 and earned NJCAA Region X Coach of the Year accolades in 2017. He led the Trojans to a victory at the 2018 NJCAA Region X Championship and a berth in the NJCAA DII National Championship.
Cole was initially a standout collegiate golfer for Fayetteville State. As a freshman in 2011, he earned five collegiate victories, including the PGA Works DII Collegiate Championship, and was named CIAA Player of the Year. Cole transferred to Appalachian State, where he served as the team captain his senior year. He graduated from Appalachian State in 2014 with a bachleor's degree in recreation management and a minor in communications.
On the professional links following his collegiate career, Cole played on the Swingthough, G-Pro, and Coastal Players Tour. He captured a win at the 2015 Crow Creek Invitational on the Coastal Players Tour.
Cole attended Cape Fear High School, where he won the 2010 Cumberland County Match Play Championship.
The Fayetteville, N.C. native, is married to Emery Sherrill Cole.
Job Titles:
- Assistant a.D. - Sports Turf and Grounds
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Title / Assistant Coach
Former Georgia State men's golfer Josh Edgar was named the Panthers new assistant in September 2021.
Edgar, who graduated in 2021 after a remarkable five-year career with the Panthers, began his coaching career at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate and helped guide Georgia State to a three-round total of 837. The 837 mark is tied for the third-lowest three-round tournament total in program history.
Edgar became the first three-time GCAA All-America Scholar in program history, while shooting 26 rounds of par or better in his career which ranked 20 th-most in program history.
In his last season he led the team with a 73.24 scoring average in seven spring events and recorded a team-best 10 rounds of par or better, including three rounds in the 60's. He finished his career playing in 37 tournaments, compiling a 74.02 scoring average in 108 rounds of competition. Edgar shot a career-low 66 at the 2021 Sea Palms Invitational, holding the second-round lead. He recorded a career-best third-place finish at the 2019 Tiger Invitational presented by Jason Dufner.
"I am thrilled to announce the hiring of Josh Edgar as our next assistant men's golf coach," Wilson said. "Josh was a great leader here as a player and he will continue to be a positive influence on our guys in his new role. Having him go from player to coach is a transition that will come easy for him and one that he will excel at. Having someone, like Josh, around the team every day will benefit Georgia State University and our players tremendously."
"I am excited for this opportunity to coach the team that has given me so much," Edgar said. "I'm ready to use my experience over the past five years to help the players achieve their goals on and off the course. My goal is to see a student-athlete develop as a person and be ready for a life post college, whatever that entails for them."
Job Titles:
- Athletic Trainer ( BVB & Football )
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- Senior Associate a.D. - Senior Woman Administrator / Human Resources Officer
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- Business Affairs Coordinator
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- Director of Basketball Operations
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- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
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- Assistant Track & Cross Country Coach
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - Hitting
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- Athletic Trainer ( Women 's Soccer, Mental Health Resources )
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- Athletic Trainer ( MSOC, M & W Tennis )
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- Women 's Tennis Graduate Assistant
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- Assistant Track & Cross Country Coach
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- Assistant
- Coach
- Title / Assistant Coach
A Georgia State alum, Nick Mackay was announced as the new men's golf assistant coach in August 2019. Mackay, who earned his Master's from Georgia State, previously served as an assistant coach at Kennesaw State.
In his second season he helped the Panthers to a win at the Wofford Invitational, Georgia State's first victory since the 2017 season.
In his first season with the Panthers, he guided a group that included four seniors in a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the season was halted, the Panthers had shot one of the lowest rounds in program history (275) at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate and watched as graduate transfer Ashton Poole put together one of the lowest scoring averages (72.13) in school history. With his international recruiting experience, he also opened up new lines of communcation to overseas recruits.
From 2013-15 Mackay served as the women's assistant coach at Kennesaw State under head coach Rhyll Brinsmead.
Prior to his arrival at Georgia State, Mackay worked as a player agent for Blue Giraffe Sports since 2015, helping to manage the careers of PGA and LPGA Tour professionals including Lexi Thompson, Jhonattan Vegas, Stuart Appleby, and Juli Inkster. He also spent 12 months running a junior academy in Johns Creek, Ga.
During his collegiate playing career at Jacksonville State, Mackay helped the Gamecocks capture back-to-back Atlantic Sun Conference titles in 2002 and 2003 and earned all-conference honors in 2003. As a senior, he led Jacksonville State to the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championship and was named the conference's 2004 Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. A five-time individual champion, Mackay captured individual medalist honors at the Auburn, Little Rock and Jacksonville State tournaments in addition to tying for individual medalist honors at the 2004 OVC Championships.
After his collegiate playing days, Mackay competed on the NGA Hooters, E Golf, Nationwide (Korn Ferry), South American and Australasian professional tours from 2005-2013. He also caddied extensively on the Korn Ferry Tour from 2010-13.
A native of Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia, Mackay earned a bachelor's degree in communications with an emphasis in print journalism/English from Jacksonville State in 2005, before earning his Masters in Sports Management from Georgia State in 2015.
Mackay lives in Atlanta with his wife, Maria, and their two children, James (3) and Madeleine (1).
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate a.D. - Facilities & Operations
Job Titles:
- Director of Player Development & Community Engagement
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- Assistant Coach & Operations Coordinator
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- Assistant Coach - Quarterbacks
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- Assistant a.D. - Football Operations
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- Director of Player Personnel
Job Titles:
- Athletic Trainer ( Football, Men 's Golf )
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- Assistant Football Strength Coach
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- Athletic Trainer ( Baseball )
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- Ticket Operations & Sales Specialist
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- Assistant Director of Academic Services
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- Assistant Coach - Running Backs
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Equipment Manager