"We are really excited to name Austin as our new men's golf head coach," said Stewart. "His star has been rising in the coaching profession for some time, and we are fortunate to be able to bring him home to lead a program he already knows very well. He has a track record of success and is heavily respected by the players he has coached and by his peers in the coaching profession. He is the perfect fit for WKU Golf and will be a terrific representative of our program in the community. I am very excited about the direction he will take our program."
"I couldn't be more excited to come back and coach at my alma mater," said King. "To be back on The Hill, a place I love and hold near and dear to my heart, is a dream come true. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity that Todd Stewart has given me to lead this program. I also can't thank Ryan Cabbage, all the players I coached and Charlotte, as a whole, enough for the five incredible years I've had there. While it's a bittersweet ending, they made me a better coach and a better person and have truly equipped me for this next chapter. I believe we can accomplish a lot of great things here at Western Kentucky, and I can't wait to get started. Go Tops!"
King is amid his fifth season with the Charlotte 49ers men's golf program. The team has won back-to-back Conference USA Team Championships and is gearing up for its third straight NCAA Regional appearance. The 49ers made match play as one of the top four teams in every C-USA Championship that King has been involved in.
Prior to his assistant position with Charlotte, King served on the South Alabama coaching staff as a graduate assistant for two seasons. The Jaguars finished in the top half of the Sun Belt Conference at the league's championship in both years.
King played four seasons for the Hilltoppers under the late Phillip Hatchett. He was in WKU's lineup at the Conference USA Championships as a junior and senior.
In his final season on The Hill, he competed in nine tournaments and recorded a pair of top-20 finishes. He helped WKU win the team title at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate after tying for ninth in the individual standings. King tied for 15th at the Kenny Perry Invitational, helping WKU to a fourth-place finish.
During King's junior year, the team logged four top-five finishes. In his senior season, he helped the team increase that number to six.
The Tyler, Texas native earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2016.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
"This is a tremendous hire for Western Kentucky. First and foremost, Austin is a tremendous person and a hard-working coach who will be a great fit for the WKU program. I certainly hate to lose him, but I am extremely excited for Austin and for Western Kentucky. Austin and WKU are the perfect match. He has been fantastic in recruiting for me as he forged key connections in the USA and Internationally and helped us bring in quality young men who are really good players. He also has built meaningful relationships in the coaching community which will help with scheduling. He has been really good growing relationships with golf professionals and courses during his time at both South Alabama and Charlotte which will help expand WKU practice and playing opportunities in the community. Our players and our staff are so excited for him, which is a credit to the relationships and trust he has built with everyone. The players at WKU will have a great experience playing for Austin, and I would expect this to be the beginning of a lot of long-term success for Western Kentucky Golf."
- Charlotte head coach, Director of Golf/Golf Coaches Association of America President, Ryan Cabbage
"Austin is a terrific young coach, no doubt about it. I have always appreciated his quest for knowledge. He is coaching for all the right reasons, and I know he will do great things at WKU."
- Baylor head coach Mike McGraw
"First, I want to thank Coach Metts for everything he did for the team and myself when he came in. It was a difficult spot for him to be in after the loss of Coach Hatchett but he did a great job and I'm very thankful for everything he did for me my senior year.
I'm extremely happy to see AK get the coaching job! He was an incredible teammate and a true leader on and off the course. He's had a lot of success at Charlotte and it's awesome to see him coming back to The Hill. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the head coaching role and bringing a conference championship to the program."
- Former Hilltopper teammate and current Korn Ferry Tour professional Billy Tom Sargent
