It’s considered to be one of the prime coaching positions in southeast Georgia: Coaching an always-loaded and highly ranked Glynn Academy girls’ golf team. Playing at the nicest courses in the area while guiding a talented group of young ladies sounds like, well, a walk down the fairway, but for Coach John Bennett, it is part of a loaded schedule. Bennett is a year-round coach; from young men learning to wrestle for the first time to young ladies who are at the top of their golf game, he coaches them all.
When school starts in the fall, Bennett is the head football coach at Needwood Middle School in Glynn County. In the winter, he becomes the Warriors’ wrestling coach. But it is in the spring when he moves to the high school level and takes on the task of coaching one of the state’s top golf programs. For the past five years, he has been at the helm of the ladies’ golf team at Glynn Academy, winning the Region 3-AAAAA Championship this year for the second time.
“We have had some great moments in each sport, but just seeing the kids experience success has been the best,” Coach Bennett said. “Wrestling and golf especially lend themselves to be individual sports, so seeing the teams come together and really pull for one another is always pretty special.”
Somehow he is able to juggle the three sports, which are fundamentally different in almost every way: Ladies’ golf is a mental game requiring years for proficiency, football is a physical team sport, and wrestling requires constant thought and movement. Considering his ability to handle all three almost simultaneously, it’s no surprise that Bennett did not take the usual path to become a coach. Instead, he chose to serve his country in uniform before going to college.
“I left for the Marine Corps on the night I graduated from high school,” he said.
He eventually got a degree in business but decided to become a coach due to the influence of his own high school wrestling coach, who instilled discipline in him as a young man.
The former Marine started his coaching career at Needwood 10 years ago. He has been head football coach for eight years and started the school’s wrestling program five years ago.
“We have won the wrestling championship for the last four years,” he said. “Watching those guys find success on an individual level, as well as winning as a team, has been fun to watch.”
It was also five years ago that Bennett got the opportunity to coach the Glynn Academy girls’ golf team. Many of the players have taken lessons and learned from their own golf instructors for many years, so Bennett works to reiterate what the pros have them working on and helps keep them on track.
“I try to help all the girls with course management, and slowing things down in their head,” he said. “If you’re not careful the game speeds up, and can get away from you.”
During his years as a coach, he has seen some amazing players come through his programs: Current Brunswick High School football stars Shawn Smith and D’Ante Demery, former Glynn Academy golfer Katy Harris (who now plays at Ole Miss), and current New England Patriots’ defensive back Justin Coleman. His roster currently includes two-time state golfer of the year Julianna Collett, who has signed to play at Georgia Southern next year.
“(Coach Bennett’s) influence extends beyond just the high school season,” Collett said. “(He) has caddied for me in several tournaments over the summer. He has helped me reach my potential as a golfer and made my high school golf experience unforgettable. I couldn’t ask for a better coach.”
Juggling so many sports can be difficult, especially when the seasons overlap. A good year in football may mean less practice time for wrestling.
“We have a good support system at Needwood, from other coaches that often step up to help all the way to the administration that are very supportive and give assistance when it is needed,” Bennett said.
Bennett’s coaching philosophy can be described as “fluid,” making him able to adapt to situations in each sport.
“Scott Spence (Glynn Academy principal) told me about 12 years ago, ‘If you make every decision based on what’s best for the kids, you will always be right’,” Bennett said. “I use that quite a bit.”
Bennett tries to make participating in sports an enjoyable experience for players while maintaining a high level of performance.
When he is not teaching and coaching, Bennett and his wife Kristy are busy raising 6-year-old twins, and he is the current club champion at Heritage Oaks Country Club in Brunswick.
“But if recent play is any indication, probably not for long,” he said with a laugh.
Southeast/May, 2016
GA Golf Coach John Bennett
By Rob Asbell
Year-Round Coach
