Matt Glenn, head coach of the 2015-16 state champion Dragon golf team, earned national recognition earlier this year for the Class 6A title achievement, according to MySouthlakeNews. Glenn was named state boys’ golf coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
The championship marked the first boys' title since 2004. The team also featured single medalists Colin Kober and Mason Greenberg.
We caught up with the 13th-year head coach to chat about the accomplishment and the team that helped him get there in a Q&A.
Southlake Style: Congratulations on the national recognition. Tell usbrmore about how this all came about and what type of honor this is for you.
Matt Glenn: It’s a huge honor. They sent out an email to me and saidbr‘Hey, you’v been selected with a few other coaches, and basically we’re goingbrto put you in a local Texas slot and then from there, we’ll weed you guys outbrhere and there until we get down to the national level.’ You fill out a littlebrsurvey and then I guess they went to the UIL and talked to those guys aboutbrsome of the coaches. So, that’s how it was selected.
SS: You coached a special group of golfers last year. Couldbryou pay some homage to that team and what made them state-championship caliber?
Glenn: It was a fantastic group. I watched them come into thebrprogram as freshmen. It was a big group. Freshmen level, they’re still littlebrboys. I watched them grow into young men in the four years. What was uniquebrabout them is there really wasn’t any jealousy among that group.
Really fiercebrcompetitors, which is rare to be that strong-willed and willing to pay thebrprice to win and do whatever it took and then still be not jealous of eachbrother.
It was a fun and unique group that was definitely a family. I'm justbrglad I got to share a part of that. Not many coaches get that special of abrgroup, not just talent-wise on the golf end of it. Character and integrity –brjust a great group of men.
SS: Talk a bit more about the state championship run. Howbrwas the season shaping up by mid-year. Once you got to the post season, whenbrdid you realize your team had a shot to win it all? What types of things didbryou tell the kids to keep their eyes on the ultimate prize?
Glenn: It’s not like we don’t want to win the championship everybryear that you’re coaching. That’s something we’re trying to do every year. Thatbrsame group finished second and fourth in the state the year before and we gotbreveryone back. We knew as long as we took care of business at the district andbrstate level we’d have a legit shot. That year we focused on the process morebrthan the outcome. Every time we played, we put our heart and soul on the golfbrcourse. As long as you’re shooting for the goal in process, the outcome is going tobrbe what you want it to be.
SS: You obviously lose a few key golfers this year. Talkbrabout the next generation of Carroll golfers and what they bring to the tablebrfor this year's squad.
Glenn: I think in the last two years, we’ve put outbrabout 12 or 13 Division I’s. That’s some good golfers to come through thebrprogram. The next generation has got some big shoes to fill.
The program isbrset out to where you can be successful and get better. The one cool thing aboutbrit is the kids we're counting on in the future got to be a little bit of a partbrof the last two years. Being around great players like that elevates your gamebrfor sure. We've got a good young group coming.brThey're enthusiastic and have been waiting their turn for a while to see whatbrthey can do.
SS: Is there anyone in particular you'd like to thank inbrhonor of this award?
Glenn: To be honest with you, I can go into coaches that’s givenbrme my philosophy over the years and that kind of stuff, but honestly, probablybrthe biggest thing about that is Dragon Nation. This place is unbelievable.brGreat kids.
That team will always have a place in my heart and that squad wasbrincredible. Like I said earlier, it's just a blessing to have been around thatbrgood of kids that work that hard and they deserve all the thanks for sure.