Bart Craig Named Head Golf Coach
ABILENE, Texas — Former Hardin-Simmons’ men’s golfer Bart Craig is taking over the reins of the men’s and women’s golf programs at his alma mater, HSU Athletic Director John Neese announced on Friday.
“We are honored to welcome Bart Craig back home to Hardin-Simmons University,” said Neese. “As a player, he competed on two of our best men’s golf teams in recent history. As an individual, he was known as a great representative of HSU. He has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments as a player and a teacher since graduating from HSU. We know he will provide phenomenal leadership for both of our golf programs.”
Craig comes back to HSU after serving most recently as a PGA Golf Professional at El Dorado Golf and Country Club in El Dorado, Ark. He has plenty of golf administration experience and also had coached the El Dorado high school teams.
“It is great to be coming back home,” said Craig. “We were competitive at HSU in both the men and women when I was there. I am a competitive person and that is our number one goal to get both programs back to where we are competing for championships.”
His girls’ team won two state titles in his six seasons at the helm of the program. He has worked in the golf industry since graduation from Hardin-Simmons.
Craig is a native of Weatherford and played at Hardin-Simmons from 1987 to 1991. He was an NAIA All-District VIII selection as a senior in 1991.
He played at HSU during the end of the Division I era and into the early days of NAIA for head coach Jeff Goodin. In his junior year he was part of the team that placed second in the Division I Trans America Athletic Conference Tournament.
His senior year he helped the Cowboys to a fourth-place finish at the NAIA National Tournament. He won medalist honors at the District VIII meet that sent the Cowboys to the NAIA Nationals.
Craig graduated from HSU in 1991 with a degree in behavioral science. His wife, Jan is a Hardin-Simmons graduate and a former member of the women’s golf team and they have two children, Jaxon and Reagan.
He replaces David Sherman, who resigned last month after 11 years at the helm of the HSU program.
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