JP Kircher
Head Men's Golf Coach, Piedmont University
JP Kircher enters his seventh season as Director of Golf and Head Men's Golf Coach for Piedmont University.
After enjoying a successful fall season competing against Division I and Division II opponents, the Lions found themselves with a No. 1 national ranking from Golfstat in November of 2020. Individually, four Lions found themselves in the top 12 of the Golfstat individual national rankings.
The spring brought more success as Piedmont took home team titles at the Wynlakes Intercollegiate before capturing the USA South Conference Tournament Championship at Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The USA South Tournament title gave the Lions their first-ever NCAA National Tournament berth.
The 2019-20 season was cut short due to COVID-19, but the Lions claimed the team title at the 14th annual Piedmont College Fall Invitational led by Matthew Leemann's individual title. It marked the second of two individual titles for Leemann after claiming low-medalist honors at the Transylvania Invitational in Kentucky.
The Lions posted their best finish at the USA South Tournament in 2019 finishing fourth in the league championship. The fourth place finish was in large part due to Josh DeSain's final round 5-under 67 that broke school records giving him the program best 54-hole total (216). DeSain finished seventh in the tournament giving him his second top-10 finish of the season.
Kircher led the Lions to a second place finish in 2018 at the Piedmont College Fall Invitational after winning the event in 2017 edging out Truett-McConnell by a single stroke. Davis Cook tied for co-medalist honors in 2017 with a 145, shooting a 70 in the second round for his best tournament round of his Piedmont career.
Kircher carries NCAA Tournament experience with him to Demorest following a four-year playing career at nationally-respected Division III member Huntingdon College in Alabama. Kircher helped the Hawks to one of the storied program's best finishes in the NCAA Division III National Championships with a 3rd place showing in 2010, part of four straight top-ten finishes in the NCAA Tournament.
In four showings at the NCAA National Tournament during his collegiate career, Kircher three times finished in the top 32 individually including a career-best top 20 finish in 2010. Additionally, Kircher helped Huntingdon to a pair of 8th place finishes, a 6th place spot, and a 3rd place showing as a team in the NCAA's as well.
Kircher was a three-time All-South Region selection by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) for his play with the Hawks and would later go on to take All-American status in back-to-back seasons (2009, 2010).