Chan Metts was announced Thursday as the new head coach for women’s golf at App State.
Before coming to App State, he was the head coach of women’s and men’s golf at Charleston Southern. As head coach of the Charleston Southern women’s team, he led them to an NCAA regional berth and a conference title in 2024, which was the team’s first appearance in 14 years.
“Winning a conference championship is never easy, which shows that he is more than capable of taking the program to a new level,” said Mimi Burke, Georgia Southern head coach and App State graduate.
Metts is also the 2024 Big South Golf Coach of the Year.
“What an honor to be here,” Metts said during a press conference Thursday where athletic director Doug Gillin introduced him to App State.
In attendance were other head coaches from App State Athletics as well as Phillip Byers from the Board of Governors.
“It’s a big deal when we hire a head coach at Appalachian State,” Gillin said. “The head coaches here are the backbone of our university athletic department.”
Before his coaching career, Metts worked in the juvenile justice system in his home state of Georgia for seven years. Metts said what he learned in that field has helped him in his coaching career.
“For me, there are several reasons why I want to be a coach,” Metts said. “I wake up every day thinking I have the best job in the world. There is nothing I would rather do than work with young people on the golf course.”
Metts also said his father was a football coach and as a kid he learned to appreciate the process of getting better and the hard work that goes into preparing for the season. Metts arrived at App State on Monday and the women’s golf team had its first practice on Wednesday. He said he makes practice difficult.
“I want all my players to be able to look at me in 5, 10, 20 years and say, ‘I was a better player because I played for you, but more importantly, I’m a better person because I played for you,'” Metts said.
Emotions ran high in the room and one golfer teared up as Metts talked about how excited he was to work with the team.
Metts’ goals for the team this year include winning the women’s GPA award and winning the Sun Belt title.
Metts’ goals for the team this year include winning the women’s GPA award, being the conference’s “hardest working team” and winning the Sun Belt title.
The first match in women’s golf will take place on Monday in Clemson.
Metts said it has always been a dream for him and his wife, Whitney, to move from the coast to the mountains and that they are now “ready to stay here year-round.”
