Eastern Michigan Athletics
Josh Brewer Named EMU Head Women’s Golf Coach
5/29/2024 3:30:00 PM | Women's Golf
The Brownstown, Ind., native arrives after 12 years leading the University of Georgia
Getting to Know Interview with Coach Brewer.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — On the heels of a transformational $6.5 million commitment from GameAbove to support EMU Golf, Eastern Michigan University Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee announced the hiring of Josh Brewer as head coach of the women's golf program today, May 29. An established head coach with 12 seasons of experience as a Division I head coach, Brewer arrives in Ypsilanti with an extensive coaching resume which includes stops at the University of Georgia, the University of Southern California, and Indiana University.
"It is my pleasure to welcome Josh Brewer as our new head coach for the women's golf program," said Wetherbee. "With an impressive track record of excellence, he brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven history of success. We are confident his leadership will further elevate our program and inspire our student-athletes to achieve new heights."
The eighth full-time head coach in EMU program history, Brewer recently completed his 12th season as head coach at Georgia and guided the program to 16 tournament wins. Overall, his Bulldog teams qualified for the NCAA Regionals 10 times and advanced to the NCAA National Championships on four occasions.
The 48-year-old Brewer reestablished the Bulldogs as a dominant force in collegiate golf. During his UGA tenure, Brewer oversaw 35 total victories, including 16 team titles and 19 individual wins. Among these are the notable sweeps of the NCAA Regional Championships in 2016, 2021, and 2023. The Bulldogs' 2016 Bryan Regional win featured Georgia's best-ever postseason score at the time (8-under), with Bailey Tardy earning medalist honors. Subsequent victories came in 2021 and 2023, with Jenny Bae leading the charge in Columbus and Athens, respectively.
"I'd like to thank Eastern Michigan University, Scott Wetherbee, Dan McLean, and GameAbove for this opportunity," Brewer added. "Their vision and support for Eastern Golf is creating an exciting future that will allow us to compete for championships. We will create a national schedule that will allow us to attract the top talent to come to Ypsilanti. My vision for this program is simple – winning championships at the conference and national level. That quest begins today!"
GameAbove's latest commitment to Eastern Michigan was announced yesterday, May 28, reflects the belief in the potential of the men's and women's golf programs to achieve greatness. This brings GameAbove's total support for EMU Golf to over $14.5 million, marking the greatest level of support from a single donor to one sport in the University's history. GameAbove is a successful multifaceted brand consisting of charitable giving, capital investments, sports entertainment, and media ventures.
In 2023-24, UGA finished one stroke out of the fifth spot in the NCAA's Auburn Regional, which would have meant advancing to the 30-team NCAA field. Georgia fell in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) semifinals this season to Texas A&M University. Overall, the Bulldogs were ranked tied for 23rd in the latest Mizuno WGCA Coaches Poll.
The Brownstown, Ind., native helped the Bulldogs to an impressive performance at the 2022 NCAA Championships, where they advanced to match play for the first time since the format's adoption in 2015. Georgia placed eighth in stroke play, with Jenny Bae and Candice Mahé finishing in the top-10, making Georgia the only team with two top-10 finishers. The Bulldogs pushed eventual national champions Stanford to the brink, ultimately tying for fifth place.
Under Brewer's guidance, school records consistently fell. Nine of Georgia's top-10 season stroke averages were set during his tenure, including Jenny Bae's school-record 70.75 in 2022-23. Caterina Don broke the single-round record with an 8-under 64 at the 2021 LTWF Heroes Intercollegiate, and Bae set the 54-hole mark at 16-under during the 2022 Illini Invitational. On the team front, Georgia's top-five season stroke averages and nine of the top-10 tournament tallies, including a school-record 20-under at the 2022 Illini Invitational.
Brewer's recruits excelled both on the course and in the classroom. His 2019 and 2023 recruiting classes were ranked No. 1 by Golf Channel. The team maintained a GPA over 3.0 every year, surpassing 3.5 in his last three years, and were recognized for the highest GPA in athletics after the 2020-21 academic year and the fall 2023 semester. All 25 student-athletes under Brewer's mentorship graduated and the team was acknowledged by the NCAA for Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in four of the last five seasons.
Brewer's influence extends beyond team achievements. His former players have claimed five Symetra Tour wins, and several competed at prestigious events such as the U.S. Open and the Augusta National Women's Amateur. All told, Brewer coached 15 All-Americans, 13 All-SEC honorees, 1 SEC Freshman of the Year, and numerous other accolade recipients.
His journey into coaching began unexpectedly after a successful collegiate playing career at Indiana University, where he helped the Hoosiers to a Big Ten Conference Championship in 1998. Following a stint as a financial advisor, Brewer returned to coaching at his alma mater, contributing to the Hoosiers' NCAA success before moving on to Southern Cal, where he further honed his coaching skills.
As a senior at Indiana, Brewer birdied the final two holes to finish second individually and help the Hoosiers secure a one-stroke victory at the 1998 Big Ten Championships. While Brewer did not know so at the time, the event was the final tournament in both his career and that of legendary coach Sam Carmichael.
During his tenure at Indiana, the Brownstown, Ind., native carded a 76.33 stroke average over 139 rounds.
After winning the 1998 Indiana Am crown that summer, Brewer quickly moved into the business world as a financial advisor with Linsco/Private Ledger in Indianapolis. Three falls later, Mike Mayer, who moved from assistant to head coach at IU after Carmichael retired, asked Brewer to share his experiences in golf and school and the transition to professional life with the current team.
From that, Brewer planted a seed with Mayer, who also was his childhood golf instructor, and when an opening arose soon thereafter, Brewer returned to Bloomington. Brewer helped the Hoosiers enjoy very solid success over the next six seasons. Indiana was represented in NCAA competition each of his those campaigns. After reaching in NCAA Regionals in 2004, 2005 and 2006, the Hoosiers returned to the NCAA Championships as a team in 2008, their first appearance since Brewer's sophomore year in 1996.
All told, Brewer helped coach two All-Americans, three Big Ten Players of the Year honorees, two Palmer Cup members, one Walker Cup member and four scholastic All-Americans.
In 2008, Brewer ventured from his roots to become assistant coach for both the men's and women's golf teams at Southern Cal, where he helped both programs thrive during four seasons in Los Angeles. Brewer help produce two PAC-10 Championship teams and golfers who won National Player of the Year, National Freshman of the Year, 12 All-America certificates, three PAC-10 Player of the Year awards and two PAC-10 Freshman of the Year accolades. In addition, USC had two Curtis Cup and two Palmer Cup team members.
Known for his extraordinary work ethic and determination, Brewer made an immediate impact at Indiana as a freshman in 1994. He won the Legends Invitational with a 214 (73-68-73), en route to the team's third-best average that season of 77.36.
Playing as Indiana's No. 2 golfer, Brewer finished tied for second place in the 1998 Big Ten Championships, Indiana's most recent conference title. One year prior, he finished tied for eighth at the conference championship. During his sophomore year, Brewer competed in 38 rounds, including the 1996 NCAA Championships.
Following his graduation from IU in 1998, Brewer set Indiana Golf Association history en route to winning the 98th Indiana Amateur Championship that year. Brewer overcame extremely adverse conditions to win the coveted title. On a windy Morris Park Country Club layout, Brewer closed a nine-shot deficit over the final 36 holes, which was the largest comeback since the tournament went to medal play in 1973. He also tied a record by coming from four strokes back over the last 18 holes.
Brewer was inducted into Brownstown Central High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.
He graduated from Indiana in 1998, earning a bachelor's degree in Business Management. Brewer received his master's degree in Kinesiology from IU in 2008.
EMU recently opened the GameAbove Golf Performance Center at Eagle Crest Golf Course, Jan. 16, 2024. The two-story facility, perched elegantly overlooking the 18th green and Ford Lake, was made possible through an $8 million gift from GameAbove. The facility is a testament to EMU and GameAbove's commitment to excellence in collegiate golf. This state-of-the-art training complex, spanning 13,000 square feet, is designed to propel the Eastern men's and women's golf teams to new heights of success. The facility provides an unparalleled training environment for all game elements with lockerrooms, meeting spaces, indoor putting and chipping areas, and cutting-edge simulators.
The building features a dedicated practice range, spanning 6,619 square feet, which allows student-athletes to hone their skills with targeted training sessions. A specialized area covering 5,383 square feet has been designated for chipping and putting, ensuring that every aspect of the game is meticulously addressed in the training regimen. Additionally, including two TrackMan 4 Simulators, totaling 1,974 square feet, adds a cutting-edge dimension to the training experience. These simulators bring the outdoor game indoors, allowing precision training regardless of external conditions.
Eagle Crest Golf Club, home to the EMU women's golf team, has been ranked No. 9 in the Top 25 College Golf Courses by Golf Pass Golfers' Choice 2024. This achievement signifies the facility's commitment to excellence and dedication to providing the total golf experience to students and the public.
Being ranked No. 9 in Golfers' Choice 2024 is a momentous honor for Eagle Crest Golf Club. The University's steady rank climb, moving from No. 25 to No. 13 and now securing a spot in the top 10, reflects its commitment to excellence.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — On the heels of a transformational $6.5 million commitment from GameAbove to support EMU Golf, Eastern Michigan University Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee announced the hiring of Josh Brewer as head coach of the women's golf program today, May 29. An established head coach with 12 seasons of experience as a Division I head coach, Brewer arrives in Ypsilanti with an extensive coaching resume which includes stops at the University of Georgia, the University of Southern California, and Indiana University.
"It is my pleasure to welcome Josh Brewer as our new head coach for the women's golf program," said Wetherbee. "With an impressive track record of excellence, he brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven history of success. We are confident his leadership will further elevate our program and inspire our student-athletes to achieve new heights."
The eighth full-time head coach in EMU program history, Brewer recently completed his 12th season as head coach at Georgia and guided the program to 16 tournament wins. Overall, his Bulldog teams qualified for the NCAA Regionals 10 times and advanced to the NCAA National Championships on four occasions.
The 48-year-old Brewer reestablished the Bulldogs as a dominant force in collegiate golf. During his UGA tenure, Brewer oversaw 35 total victories, including 16 team titles and 19 individual wins. Among these are the notable sweeps of the NCAA Regional Championships in 2016, 2021, and 2023. The Bulldogs' 2016 Bryan Regional win featured Georgia's best-ever postseason score at the time (8-under), with Bailey Tardy earning medalist honors. Subsequent victories came in 2021 and 2023, with Jenny Bae leading the charge in Columbus and Athens, respectively.
"I'd like to thank Eastern Michigan University, Scott Wetherbee, Dan McLean, and GameAbove for this opportunity," Brewer added. "Their vision and support for Eastern Golf is creating an exciting future that will allow us to compete for championships. We will create a national schedule that will allow us to attract the top talent to come to Ypsilanti. My vision for this program is simple – winning championships at the conference and national level. That quest begins today!"
GameAbove's latest commitment to Eastern Michigan was announced yesterday, May 28, reflects the belief in the potential of the men's and women's golf programs to achieve greatness. This brings GameAbove's total support for EMU Golf to over $14.5 million, marking the greatest level of support from a single donor to one sport in the University's history. GameAbove is a successful multifaceted brand consisting of charitable giving, capital investments, sports entertainment, and media ventures.
In 2023-24, UGA finished one stroke out of the fifth spot in the NCAA's Auburn Regional, which would have meant advancing to the 30-team NCAA field. Georgia fell in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) semifinals this season to Texas A&M University. Overall, the Bulldogs were ranked tied for 23rd in the latest Mizuno WGCA Coaches Poll.
The Brownstown, Ind., native helped the Bulldogs to an impressive performance at the 2022 NCAA Championships, where they advanced to match play for the first time since the format's adoption in 2015. Georgia placed eighth in stroke play, with Jenny Bae and Candice Mahé finishing in the top-10, making Georgia the only team with two top-10 finishers. The Bulldogs pushed eventual national champions Stanford to the brink, ultimately tying for fifth place.
Under Brewer's guidance, school records consistently fell. Nine of Georgia's top-10 season stroke averages were set during his tenure, including Jenny Bae's school-record 70.75 in 2022-23. Caterina Don broke the single-round record with an 8-under 64 at the 2021 LTWF Heroes Intercollegiate, and Bae set the 54-hole mark at 16-under during the 2022 Illini Invitational. On the team front, Georgia's top-five season stroke averages and nine of the top-10 tournament tallies, including a school-record 20-under at the 2022 Illini Invitational.
Brewer's recruits excelled both on the course and in the classroom. His 2019 and 2023 recruiting classes were ranked No. 1 by Golf Channel. The team maintained a GPA over 3.0 every year, surpassing 3.5 in his last three years, and were recognized for the highest GPA in athletics after the 2020-21 academic year and the fall 2023 semester. All 25 student-athletes under Brewer's mentorship graduated and the team was acknowledged by the NCAA for Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in four of the last five seasons.
Brewer's influence extends beyond team achievements. His former players have claimed five Symetra Tour wins, and several competed at prestigious events such as the U.S. Open and the Augusta National Women's Amateur. All told, Brewer coached 15 All-Americans, 13 All-SEC honorees, 1 SEC Freshman of the Year, and numerous other accolade recipients.
His journey into coaching began unexpectedly after a successful collegiate playing career at Indiana University, where he helped the Hoosiers to a Big Ten Conference Championship in 1998. Following a stint as a financial advisor, Brewer returned to coaching at his alma mater, contributing to the Hoosiers' NCAA success before moving on to Southern Cal, where he further honed his coaching skills.
As a senior at Indiana, Brewer birdied the final two holes to finish second individually and help the Hoosiers secure a one-stroke victory at the 1998 Big Ten Championships. While Brewer did not know so at the time, the event was the final tournament in both his career and that of legendary coach Sam Carmichael.
During his tenure at Indiana, the Brownstown, Ind., native carded a 76.33 stroke average over 139 rounds.
After winning the 1998 Indiana Am crown that summer, Brewer quickly moved into the business world as a financial advisor with Linsco/Private Ledger in Indianapolis. Three falls later, Mike Mayer, who moved from assistant to head coach at IU after Carmichael retired, asked Brewer to share his experiences in golf and school and the transition to professional life with the current team.
From that, Brewer planted a seed with Mayer, who also was his childhood golf instructor, and when an opening arose soon thereafter, Brewer returned to Bloomington. Brewer helped the Hoosiers enjoy very solid success over the next six seasons. Indiana was represented in NCAA competition each of his those campaigns. After reaching in NCAA Regionals in 2004, 2005 and 2006, the Hoosiers returned to the NCAA Championships as a team in 2008, their first appearance since Brewer's sophomore year in 1996.
All told, Brewer helped coach two All-Americans, three Big Ten Players of the Year honorees, two Palmer Cup members, one Walker Cup member and four scholastic All-Americans.
In 2008, Brewer ventured from his roots to become assistant coach for both the men's and women's golf teams at Southern Cal, where he helped both programs thrive during four seasons in Los Angeles. Brewer help produce two PAC-10 Championship teams and golfers who won National Player of the Year, National Freshman of the Year, 12 All-America certificates, three PAC-10 Player of the Year awards and two PAC-10 Freshman of the Year accolades. In addition, USC had two Curtis Cup and two Palmer Cup team members.
Known for his extraordinary work ethic and determination, Brewer made an immediate impact at Indiana as a freshman in 1994. He won the Legends Invitational with a 214 (73-68-73), en route to the team's third-best average that season of 77.36.
Playing as Indiana's No. 2 golfer, Brewer finished tied for second place in the 1998 Big Ten Championships, Indiana's most recent conference title. One year prior, he finished tied for eighth at the conference championship. During his sophomore year, Brewer competed in 38 rounds, including the 1996 NCAA Championships.
Following his graduation from IU in 1998, Brewer set Indiana Golf Association history en route to winning the 98th Indiana Amateur Championship that year. Brewer overcame extremely adverse conditions to win the coveted title. On a windy Morris Park Country Club layout, Brewer closed a nine-shot deficit over the final 36 holes, which was the largest comeback since the tournament went to medal play in 1973. He also tied a record by coming from four strokes back over the last 18 holes.
Brewer was inducted into Brownstown Central High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.
He graduated from Indiana in 1998, earning a bachelor's degree in Business Management. Brewer received his master's degree in Kinesiology from IU in 2008.
EMU recently opened the GameAbove Golf Performance Center at Eagle Crest Golf Course, Jan. 16, 2024. The two-story facility, perched elegantly overlooking the 18th green and Ford Lake, was made possible through an $8 million gift from GameAbove. The facility is a testament to EMU and GameAbove's commitment to excellence in collegiate golf. This state-of-the-art training complex, spanning 13,000 square feet, is designed to propel the Eastern men's and women's golf teams to new heights of success. The facility provides an unparalleled training environment for all game elements with lockerrooms, meeting spaces, indoor putting and chipping areas, and cutting-edge simulators.
The building features a dedicated practice range, spanning 6,619 square feet, which allows student-athletes to hone their skills with targeted training sessions. A specialized area covering 5,383 square feet has been designated for chipping and putting, ensuring that every aspect of the game is meticulously addressed in the training regimen. Additionally, including two TrackMan 4 Simulators, totaling 1,974 square feet, adds a cutting-edge dimension to the training experience. These simulators bring the outdoor game indoors, allowing precision training regardless of external conditions.
Eagle Crest Golf Club, home to the EMU women's golf team, has been ranked No. 9 in the Top 25 College Golf Courses by Golf Pass Golfers' Choice 2024. This achievement signifies the facility's commitment to excellence and dedication to providing the total golf experience to students and the public.
Being ranked No. 9 in Golfers' Choice 2024 is a momentous honor for Eagle Crest Golf Club. The University's steady rank climb, moving from No. 25 to No. 13 and now securing a spot in the top 10, reflects its commitment to excellence.
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