Wabash College removed the interim tag from
Justin Kopp's title on Thursday, naming the 2021 alumnus the Little Giants' head golf coach.
"Justin effectively led the golf team for the last six months on and off the course," Wabash Director of Athletics Matt Tanney said. "His knowledge of the game is strong, and his approach to students' academic success, rapport with the team, and connectivity to alumni proved equally robust. Both the existing roster and future Wabash golfers will benefit from Justin's guidance."
Kopp guided the Wabash squad to a team title at the Forest Hills Fall Invitational and a second-place finish at the Stateline Shootout. Little Giant golfers posted seven top-ten finishes in the 2022 fall competition. Freshman
Sean Bledsoe won the individual title, and
Brayden Weiss placed second at the Forest Hills event. Bledsoe and Weiss tied for fourth place at the Stateline Shootout, with teammate
Tim Neu capturing eighth place.
Kopp played four seasons of golf and soccer at Wabash before graduating in 2021 after majoring in religion and Spanish. He played 33 rounds over his career and posted ten top-10 finishes, including three spots in the top five. Kopp captured four top-10 finishes as a senior, with one tournament victory as part of two top-five efforts. He earned the Indianapolis Association of Wabash Men's Scholar-Athlete Award, presented annually to the Wabash senior who best demonstrates the combination of scholarship and athletics.
Kopp helped the Wabash soccer program earn three berths in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. He played in 53 career games for the soccer team, scoring five goals and handing out 14 assists to tie for 11th on the team's records list. Kopp earned second-team all-conference honors on defense as a junior.
Kopp is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. As a student, he was a senior consultant with the College's Center for Innovation, Business, and Entrepreneurship (CIBE), a Sphinx Club member, and a Wabash Student Senate representative. He received an Orr Fellowship and has worked at Lev, a Salesforce consultancy marketing company, since graduating in 2021.
"Working with the team as a player, volunteer assistant, and interim head coach has been some of the most rewarding, challenging, and gratifying work I've ever done," Kopp said. "I'm grateful to accept the head coaching position and believe the Wabash golf program is on a trajectory to compete for NCAC Championships and potentially qualify for the NCAA Championship Tournament in the coming years.
"This fall, we achieved our highest Golfstat ranking of 85th in the country. I believe we'll continue winning tournaments and climbing the rankings. The support of the team, athletic department, and alumni have made this transition a possibility for me, and I am very honored for the opportunity to help develop team members into quality Wabash men on and off the course."
