KENT- Kent State Men's Golf Coach Jon Mills ('02) has signed a contract extension through the 2026-27 season as announced by Director of Athletics Randale L. Richmond.
"I am thrilled that Coach Mills will continue to lead our men's golf program," Richmond said. "Coach Mills is the ideal leader to carry on the proud tradition of Kent State golf and I am excited for the future of the program both on and off the course."
Mills took over the men's golf program in July of 2019 after the retirement of long-time head coach Herb Page. Mills continued the excellence of the golf program by capturing the 2021 and 2022 MAC Championships and earned the 2021 Conference Coach of the Year honors.
Under Mills' tutelage, Cade Breitenstine and Chris Vandette have each earned Golfer of the Year honors while Jordan Gilkison was named the Freshman of the Year last year. In both of his full seasons at the helm, a member of the Golden Flashes has captured the individual title at the MAC Championships.
"I am really grateful and appreciative to be able to continue my coaching career at Kent State," Mills said. "There is no hiding the fact that I love this university and community–it is an amazing place to grow a family while working to achieve our team's lofty goals. I am excited to see what the future holds!"
In addition to the conference dominance, the Flashes continue to excel on a national level under Mills. The Flashes captured the outright team title at the Boilermaker Invitational in 2021 and had numerous top-five team finishes. On an individual level, Chris Vandette won the Quail Valley Collegiate title, Cade Breitenstine won the Robert Kepler individual crown and away from the college game, Jordan Gilkison won the Ohio Open.
The Flashes have also excelled in the classroom under Mills. Eight golfers have earned All-American Scholar distinction during the last two seasons. Men's golf played a key role in Kent State winning the MAC's FAR Academic Achievement Award for men's sports for the first time in 2021, posting the second-highest team GPA in program history.
The Golden Flashes have tournaments at Purdue (April 15-16) and Ohio State (April 21-23) before heading to the Mid-American Conference Tournament in Athens, Alabama from April 29th-May 2nd.
