DANVILLE, Ky. – Earlier today Centre Athletics announced the hiring of Ben Fuqua as its new head men's golf coach.
 
"Ben Fuqua is the perfect person to lead Centre men's golf into its next chapter," said Brad Fields '98, Director of Athletics and Recreation at Centre College. "Ben is a Danville native, an accomplished collegiate golfer who competed at the highest levels, and successfully coached at UK. Ben knows Centre and he is highly competitive and comes highly recommended.  We look forward to the impact he will make on this program." 
 
Fuqua spent the past eight seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Kentucky, where he helped lead the team to a 13th place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2015-16. He also helped the team win four tournaments in 2017-18, the most in a season for the Kentucky program since 2005. Fuqua coached several All-SEC golfers during his time at Kentucky, standouts that include Cooper Musselman, Lukas Euler and Cullan Brown.
 
"It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since we tragically lost David Jones," said Fields. "Our players, and the Centre athletics family, have been through so much over during that time, and I'm humbled by the way the team stuck together and so many rallied to support them.  With the hiring of Ben, we move forward to the next phase of Centre men's golf, never forgetting David, but feeling at peace that he would be pleased to see Ben as his successor."
 
As a player at Kentucky, Fuqua was part of the 2005 SEC Championship team and was the team captain for his final two seasons with the Wildcats. He posted four top-five finishes in his playing career, with one victory.
 
The former 2003 Kentucky Mr. Golf and the 2003 KHSAA State Champion captured three United States Golf Association medals during his amateur career. He holds the UK record for a 54-hole tournament score (198) and was a two-time All-SEC Academic team member. During his junior season at Kentucky, Fuqua reached the top ten of the GolfWeek Individual Rankings.
 
Following his playing career, Fuqua played professional golf for three years before moving into the coaching ranks.
 
Fuqua served as the head coach at Asbury University and Lexington Catholic High School from 2013-14 before serving as a volunteer assistant at Kentucky during the 2014-15 season. At Asbury, Fuqua helped direct Steven Brooks to the 2013 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Individual Championship. During his rise up the coaching ranks, Fuqua also served as a private golf instructor.