GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T officially has its second-ever men's and women's golf coach in both programs' brief history. A&T Director of Athletics, Earl M. Hilton III, announced Loritz "Scooter" Clark, as the new Director of Golf on Monday.
The position came open last spring when
Richard Watkins, the head coach who pioneered both programs starting in 2016 with the women's program, retired after spending 32 years of service at A&T in various capacities and 45 years in public education.
Clark comes to A&T after working for the PGA of America as the Director of Collegiate Championships. Clark also has collegiate coaching experience at the Division I level as Bethune-Cookman University's Director of Intercollegiate Golf from 2010-2016.
"It is actually a full circle moment for me," said Clark. "I was the second coach at Bethune-Cookman behind (Dr.) Gary Freeman and was able to carry his legacy forward. Now, being the second coach at A&T, and although it is a younger legacy, I look forward to following coach Watkins and carrying on his passion, dedication, and all the hard work he put into building both programs. I am also looking forward to being a part of the Greensboro community and Aggie Pride.
"Thank you to Chancellor (Harold L.) Martin for entrusting me with the student-athlete golfers at North Carolina A&T. And thank you Athletics Director Hilton for giving me the opportunity to lead the A&T golf programs into the next phase of their growth. I look forward to creating champions in the classroom, on the golf course and in the community."
During his time working as the Director of Collegiate Championships, Clark worked closely with Strategic Advisory and Coaches Advisory groups to ensure that the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship delivered on the long-term goals and objectives for all stakeholders, including the student-athletes, coaches, partners and golf industry employers.
As a collegiate coach for the B-CU Wildcats, Clark had tremendous success. In 2013, he led the B-CU men to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship. The men also had three runner-up finishes at the MEAC tournament. In addition, the Wildcats captured a combined 10 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championships between the two programs, the most by any coach in the 36-year history of the championship.
In 2012, Clark had an individual from the men's team qualify for the Regional Round of the NCAA Championship, and in 2013, the Wildcat men qualified for the Regional Round of the NCAA Championship.
"We have found the right coach to move our two golf programs into the next phase of their growth and development," said Hilton. "Coach Clark has championship experience at the collegiate level, great leadership qualities, and is extremely passionate and committed to the growth and development of our student-athletes. We are excited to see where he takes our programs after coach Watkins laid down the foundation."
Clark's coaching career at B-CU also includes 29 tournament wins between the men's and women's programs. On 32 occasions, a men's or women's golfer won a tournament as an individual under Clark. The men reached a GolfWeek ranking as high as No. 58, while the women's highest ranking was 76. The two programs earned the NCAA's Golf Public Recognition Award in 2014, '15 and '16.
Clark started his collegiate career in 1987 at Southern University. His final three years of collegiate golf were spent at the University of Maryland after transferring. Clark has been a Class A PGA Professional since 2009. He graduated from Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice.
North Carolina A&T is located on the east side of Greensboro, where it makes a large economic impact on the city. Embracing the principles of academic and competitive excellence, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics supports the educational mission of North Carolina A&T by engaging students, faculty, staff and the broader community through intercollegiate athletics competition conducted at the highest levels of integrity and sportsmanship.
