New Orleans Privateers Golf Head Coach Chris McCarter enters his 12th season with the Privateers.
Taking over a program that was at the bottom of the Sun Belt Conference, McCarter turned it around through improved recruiting and relationships throughout the New Orleans golf community.
The highlights:
** Coached five student-athletes in a three-year period to NCAA Division I Regionals, including a pair of players in 2009 to the Austin Regional, marking the first time in school history that UNO sent multiple players to the postseason tournament. The feat was repeated a year later when two players qualified for the 2010 College Station Regional.
** UNO was the only school in the Sun Belt Conference to finish in the top four in the league championship from 2005-08. The Privateers claimed a runner-up finish in the 2008 SBC Tournament – the best finish in school history.
** In 2010, UNO golfer Oscar Zetterwall was the Sun Belt Conference champion, claiming individual medalist honors. Zetterwall was the lone league champion to hail from UNO during its tenure in the SBC.
** From 2005-10, the Privateers won 11 tournaments including four in a row during the 2008-09 academic year (Squire Creek, Sam Hall Intercollegiate, Mardi Gras Invitational, Louisiana Classics).
** From 2005-10, coached seven all-Sun Belt Conference players including two-time all-conference selections Kenji Muryama and Jose Toledo.
** Coached six players to a combined 10 individual medalist honors from 2004-10. This group included three-time championsMuryama and Ken Looper.
** Coached three Louisiana Players of the Year (Muryama, 2006; Toledo 2007 and 2008), one Louisiana Newcomer of the Year (Toledo, 2007), 10 All-Louisiana selections.
*** Named Sun Belt Conference ‘Coach of the Year’ in 2006, 2009 and 2010 while earning Louisiana Coach of the Year recognition in 2006 and 2008.
** Coached Jason Kuperman (2007) and Looper (2010) to Louisiana State Amateur Championships.
Under McCarter’s guidance, the Privateers have seen steady improvement.
In 2008, UNO won three team titles – including the inaugural Texas Cup hosted by the University of Texas – and was ranked 30th in the nation in scoring average. Following the campaign, McCarter was named the LSWA state coach of the year – an award he also won in 2006.
In 2008-09, the Privateers followed that up with four consecutive tournament championships, including their own Mardi Gras Invitational at TPC Louisiana. McCarter was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year for the second time in four years after the season, an award he win once more in 2010.
McCarter’s 2009-10 team featured the first individual medalist in school history and the Louisiana State Amateur champion.
Off the course, McCarter has flourished as well – forging relationships that have helped UNO get practice access to some of the best courses in the city.
UNO frequently practices at the TPC of Louisiana, home to the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic, and the Privateers also work at such fine clubs like Lakewood Country Club, Oak Harbor Golf Club and Audubon Golf Course.
McCarter came to UNO from the private sector after owning his own wholesale import company. He also owned and operated a clothing store for seven years. In addition, McCarter served as Director of Golf Instruction at Eastover Country Club.
The Binghamton, N.Y., native has lived in the New Orleans area since 1970 and earned his bachelor’s degree from UNO in 1974. McCarter has two daughters, Kelly and Kristen, plus two grandsons: Wesley and Hunter.
