As part of an upheaval in the Texas Christian University athletics department, longtime men’s golf coach Bill Montigel will leave his job after the 2022-23 season, according to a story written by Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Montigel is approaching his 36th season at the helm of the Horned Frogs’ program and has mentored golfers such as PGA Tour player Tom Hoge and others along the way.
According to the story, the decision was not made by Montigel, who had a streak of 31 consecutive appearances at the NCAA Regionals snapped last year:
TCU director of athletics Jeremiah Donati confirmed that the longtime TCU men’s golf coach is expected to step down after the 2022-23 season.
According to multiple sources, Montigel’s contract was not renewed. He has told friends that he is not retiring and he wants to continue coaching.
Montigel, 68, has led the storied program through multiple conferences, and the team’s success far exceeds all the school’s other programs. He has been at the current Big 12 member for 45 years overall.
Under Montigel, TCU has captured eight conference championships and appeared in the NCAA Championship 20 times. The school’s best finish was in 1997 when current Tour pro J.J. Henry helped the Horned Frogs to a seventh-place finish.
Montigel told Golfweek in 2009 that he stumbled upon Hoge, who hails from North Dakota and who won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this year, by chance.
“I saw Tom play at the U.S. Amateur while he was still in high school. I knew then he had great potential,” Montigel said.
Montigel, who originally came to TCU as a basketball coach, told the Star-Telegram that he is still under contract for this year but didn’t discuss his future.
“I’m still the men’s golf coach under contract. I am committed to the TCU men’s golf program and looking forward to the upcoming year,” Montigel told the newspaper via text. “We have a great group of talented golfers coming into the program as well as seasoned players returning, and I am looking forward to a successful year.
“I know we have the guys and talent for a big 2022-23 season. As you probably know, one of our guys (Filippo Celli) just won the European Am.”
The news was shocking to many, but the school has seen massive departmental changes in the last two years. According to Engel:
Since June 2021, baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle left for Texas A&M; football coach Gary Patterson “stepped down;” volleyball coach Jim Kramer’s contract was not renewed and track and field coach Daryl Anderson was recently fired after 18 seasons.
