John Sullivan began his second stint as head coach of the Montreat College men's and women's golf teams in February of 2025. Overall, he enters his ninth season with the programs in 2025-26.
YEAR-BY-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
2024-25 (Men's Golf)
- Coached Alex Murphy to a runner-up finish at the Northeast Tennessee Spring Shootout (April 1) and a third-place finish at the Marlins Invitational (March 17-18).
- Finished 11th of 14 teams at the AAC Direct Qualifier (April 28-29).
- Athlete achievements: 1 Second Team All-AAC, 3 AAC All-Academic Team members.
2024-25 (Women's Golf)
- Finished eighth of eight teams at the AAC Direct Qualifier (April 14-15).
- Athlete achievements: 2 CSC Academic All-District® At-Large Team honorees, 3 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes, 4 AAC All-Academic Team members.
COACHING AT MONTREAT
Sullivan previously led the Cavaliers for nearly eight full seasons from 2014-2022.
Tasked with rebuilding the golf programs from the ground up, Sullivan brought in one of the largest recruiting classes in school history, taking a major step forward in rebuilding and revitalizing a program that had remained dormant for several years. In 2015, Sullivan's first full year, the Cavaliers rose to a new level of competition as the men's team secured its highest league finish in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) standings. Montreat also set both team and individual scoring records, including both the men's and women's 18- and 54-hole scoring records, among others. During Sullivan's initial tenure, the Cavs’ golf programs saw eight players earn All-Conference honors, six players make AAC All-Tournament Teams, two players claim individual tournament titles and five players garner Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition.
2017 was a historical season for the women's team as it shattered the previous 18- and 36-hole scoring records by a 28 stroke margin to set new school records in three separate categories, including lowest individual round, lowest team round and total team score (18 and 36 holes). In the spring of 2018, after two consecutive runner-up finishes, the freshman scoring average climbed to as high as 17th in the nation. That season also marked the first time in school history where the golf programs received national rankings.
The spring of 2019 saw several new records set as the men shattered the previous 18- and 36-hole scoring records to place fourth of 12 at the conference level, the first top-five finish in program history. Sophomore Jacob Shamblin captured Second Team All-AAC honors and a third-place finish at the AAC Direct Qualifier. In the fall of 2019, freshman Hayden Zitzewitz captured his first individual win with scores of 69 and 71, the first time a freshman garnered such an honor.
In 2021, Sara Gwillim collected Second Team All-AAC honors and finished fifth overall at the conference championship to place on the AAC All-Tournament Team.
PRIOR TO MONTREAT
Returning to Montreat for his second stint as head coach, Sullivan spent 2022-2025 working as a golf recruiting coach with Next College Student Athlete (NCSA), an athletic recruiting company under IMG Academy.
Sullivan came to Montreat for his first stint as head coach after serving at many high-end golf facilities throughout the Southeast, including The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa as a teaching instructor and assistant golf professional, Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, Ga. and a seasonal member of the golf professional staff at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, N.C. A Class "A" PGA certified teaching professional and member of the PGA of America, Sullivan has extensive experience in both instruction and club fitting.
Sullivan is a four-time member of the PGA President's Council on "Growing the Game", an honor bestowed on golf professionals who have excelled in leadership, player development and the promotion of the game to all sectors of players. Originally from Charlotte, N.C., Sullivan graduated from Campbell University with a degree in Business Administration, an emphasis in Professional Golf Management (PGM) and a minor in Marketing. Prior to transferring to Campbell, Sullivan was a member of the Carson-Newman University Eagles' golf team. He also completed his master's degree from Montreat in Management & Leadership in the fall of 2019.
Coach Sullivan resides in Arden with his wife, Caitlin, and son, Brayden.
