A proven leader with a wealth of college golf experience and deep ties to America's Finest City, Evan Emerick was named the fifth head coach in San Diego golf history on June 18, 2024. The 2025-2026 season is his second at USD.
He led USD to an appearance in the NCAA National Championship in his first season at USD (2024-2025), immediately continuing the program's rich tradition of success. The Toreros won three tournaments that year (the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational, The Prestige, and the Nick Watney Invitational), finished second at two events (the Kapolei Invitational and the R.E.L. Invitational), and earned a third-place finish at two more (the Alister MacKenzie Invitational and the Wyoming Cowboy Classic).
After receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Postseason, his squad finished fourth of 14 teams at the 2025 NCAA Reno Regional at Montreux Golf & Country Club to punch their ticket to the NCAA National Championship at nearby Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad. It marked the fifth NCAA Championship berth in program history and the Toreros' first since 2021.Â
Two Toreros secured All-WCC honors in Emerick's first season at the helm, withÂ
Ryan Abuan earning an 2025 All-WCC First Team selection alongside an 2025 All-WCC Honorable Mention forÂ
You Seong Choi.
Emerick joined the Toreros from USC, where he had served as an assistant coach since August of 2023. Prior to his time with the Trojans, Emerick spent a combined 15 years at nearby San Diego State as both a player and a coach.
"Evan has achieved success at the national level as both a player and coach and is a San Diegan through and through," said USD Associate Vice President/Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey. "I'm excited to welcome him as the leader of our golf program and I am highly confident that he will continue to lead us on a path of great success."
Emerick began his tenure at SDSU as volunteer assistant coach in 2013 before being promoted to director of operations and associate head coach in 2015. While with the Aztecs, he helped recruit and coach some of the most prominent players in Aztec golf history, working with nine GCAA All-Americans and 14 PING All-West Region Team selections, including 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist and eight-time PGA Tour winner Xander Schauffele.Â
With Emerick at San Diego State, the Aztecs appeared in the NCAA National Championship three times (2015, 2016 and 2021), made it to the NCAA Regionals ten times, and won the Mountain West Conference Tournament three times (2015, 2022 and 2023).Â
Emerick has also served as a Next Gen Club Fitting Analyst at the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, California. As a coach, he has been an instructor at over 50 college camps and has been a board member of the North County Junior Golf Association since 2008.
"I am thankful to Athletic Director Kimya Massey and President Harris for believing in me to lead USD golf into the future," Emerick said. "I am also very thankful for the hard work that the previous San Diego coaches, alumni, and donors have put into elevating this program. I am looking forward to working with associate head coach Sam Foust and we both believe that Torero golf can contend to win national championships. I have so much respect for this university and what it provides for the student-athlete experience and I can not wait to get started. Go Toreros!"
A four-year letterwinner at local Carlsbad High School, Emerick played for SDSU for four years (2008-2012) and helped the Aztecs achieve a No. 4 national ranking from 2010-2012. Emerick competed at the 2011 U.S. Amateur and is a two-time Mountain West Scholar-Athlete (2010, 2012). He graduated from SDSU in 2012 with a degree in public administration.Â
