Jake Harrington

**Jake Harrington** is in his 10th year as Little Rock's men's golf head coach, helping the Trojans improve into one of the top teams nationally.

During Harrington's tenure in Little Rock, the Trojans have won a conference championship (2022), made the program's first-ever NCAA Championship appearance (2021) and qualify for a pair of NCAA Regionals (2021, 2022). Taking over a program that was ranked in the 200s in the GolfStat rankings, Harrington has guided Little Rock to back-to-back season finishes of 43rd nationally, the best in program history.

Little Rock has captured 10 team tournament titles during Harrington's career, including four in the 2021-22 season alone. Five of the top-six single-season team scoring averages have been set since he arrived in Little Rock, including the program-record 286.97 mark in 2018-19, with 13 players earning All-Conference accolades, seven of which were first-team selections.

2021-22 was another historic season for Little Rock as the Trojans captured the 2022 Sun Belt Conference championship in its final season in the league as Harrington was named the league's Coach of the Year. Anton Albers was named the Sun Belt Golfer of the Year, PING All-Central Region and honorable mention All-American as Magnus Lomholt (1st) and Jansen Smith (2nd) also attained all-league honors. The Trojans competed in the 2022 NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional, finishing sixth and just missing a return trip to the NCAA Championships in Scottsdale.

Little Rock made history in 2020-21, finishing as Sun Belt runners-up and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Stillwater Regional. There, Little Rock made a dramatic comeback on the final hole of round three as all five players notched a birdie to slip the Trojans past both Auburn and Baylor to secure the program's first-ever NCAA Championship appearance. Anton Albers was a first team All-Sun Belt selection, earning first team honors as well as PING All-Central Region, with Logan Pate notching third team honors.

Justin Warren was a first team All-Sun Belt selection in 2019 as he ended his Little Rock career second all-time in career scoring average at 72.86 while his 71.41 mark in 2019 set a new single season individual program record. Beau Hanson (2015) and Alfred Kerstis (2013, 2015) have also been named first team all-conference honorees under Harrington.

The success hasn't been limited to just the course, however, as Little Rock has earned academic honors from GCAA in seven of the last eight seasons, including President's Special Recognition in 2021. Nearly two dozen Trojan golfers have been recognized as Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars with Anton Albers being named a second team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2022.

Harrington was named the Trojans’ new Director of Golf in July 2013. Harrington came to Little Rock from South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Ariz., where he led the Cougars to National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Championships in three of the last four seasons.

Harrington turned SMCC into a perennial power in his six years with the Cougars, leading the program to NJCAA Division II National Championships in 2010, 2012 and 2013, as well as a runner-up finish in 2011. Competing in the NJCAA Region I and Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, the Cougars won four region titles and four conference championships in addition to 41 tournament victories in Harrington’s time as head coach.

Harrington’s teams have also excelled in the classroom, taking home four GCAA Academic National Championships (2010-13) and producing 10 Academic All-Americans.

In the summer of 2013, Harrington served as head coach of Team USA at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup Championship at Chukyo Golf Club in Toyota City, Japan.

Harrington is a two-time recipient of the Dave Williams National Coach of the Year award (2010, 2012), a four-time winner of the ACCAC Coach of the Year honor (2009, 2011-13), and has been named the GCAA Western United States Coach of the Year six straight seasons (2008-13).

Individually, 18 of Harrington’s student-athletes have earned NJCAA All-America honors, while 23 have earned GCAA PING All-America status and 27 have been name to GCAA PING All-Region teams. He has produced four NJCAA Region I Medalists in six seasons and 21 All-Conference selections.

Two of Harrington’s players have taken home the Jack Nicklaus Award, given annually to the top NJCAA player in the nation. Three of his players have been recipients of the Phil Mickelson Award, given annually to the nation’s top freshman.

Harrington played one season for SMCC from 2001-02 before finishing his playing career and earning his bachelor’s degree in business management from Holy Names University in 2004. He went on to earn his master’s degree in global management from the University of Phoenix in 2006. In March of 2013, Harrington became the first golfer to be inducted into the Holy Names University Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a student-athlete.

Harrington is a member of the Golf Coaches Association of America and serves on the selection committees for the GCAA’s Hall of Fame and Palmer Cup. He served as President of the NJCAA Division II Coaches Association from 2012-13.