Doug Holub began coaching the men's and women's golf teams at Fairfield University in September of 2016 and had had much success since. Holub began his coaching career after graduating from Fairfield Prep, then Florida Southern College in 1999, where he earned his degree in Sociology. When reflecting on these timelines, Holub recommends student-athletes reach out through email in their sophomore to early junior years of high school. In order to get on a coach's radar, they should use highlight scores, as well as have a coach or PGA professional contact the college coach.

Holub, in addition to coaching at Fairfield, is a member of the Professional Golfers' Association of America. He has been a teaching professional at the Fairfield Wheeler Golf Club and junior golf coach at the Aspetuck Valley Country Club since 2010. His experience also includes teaching at the Connecticut Golf Club in Easton and as an industry leader at GolfTEC in New Jersey.

When it comes to recruiting, Holub told us that he looks for athletes that are confident and well-rounded. When speaking to prospective student-athletes, the most important quality is eye contact, body language, and that they talk to more than just their parents. When being recruited, players should attend tournaments in which their prospective schools are playing. When attending these events, they should dress professionally (interview attire, no jeans).

Fairfield athletics are classified as Division I. They are in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and have been highly competitive over the program's history. The Fairfield golf program has finished in 2nd and 3rd place out of 8 in the MAAC championships almost every year in the last ten years, with extremely close finishes. When talking about the team, Holub says that recruits should attend a school where they can compete and travel. Many dream schools are highly competitive, and so often players end up staying at home every weekend while other players of the same level get to travel if they are at schools with lower-ranked teams. Therefore, it is important to be realistic and realize that the chances of going on a tour after graduation are low.

Aside from the golf course, Fairfield is a high academically ranked private school in Connecticut. Holub stresses the importance of fitting in at the school you decide to attend. He advises recruits to commit to a school that they would be happy at, even if they become unable to play sports there. Social media should also reflect the character of the student-athlete off the golf course. It should be clean of things such as parties, alcohol, and profanity that may interfere with opportunities. Holub can attest that college coaches do, in fact, use social media when recruiting athletes, and thus see everything that they post.

When viewing highlight tapes, Holub says that the more the student-athletes know about Fairfield University and its golf program, the better. Extra effects such as loud music or slo-mo are unnecessary. The best highlight tapes include the student-athlete talking about their goals and statements such as “I look forward to helping __ University win their conference and go to the NCAA tournament.” Thus, athletes should readjust and share their highlight tapes about once every month as they progress and improve.

In general, to be a good fit for Fairfield golf, players should be well-rounded athletes with experience with yoga or pilates. Holub looks for athletes who treat the golf course and its competitors with respect. To be a good fit for Fairfield University, good grades and honors courses are important to help incoming student-athletes receive academic aid.

Overall, Holub stresses the importance of going to a school where you like the coach and players, and a school that has similar goals and values. Throughout the recruiting process, athletes should be true to themselves, but maximize their opportunities to find the best fit for them and their mission. It is important to remember that college coaches evaluate players both on and off the field, and thus prospective student-athletes can either increase or reduce opportunities for themselves through their actions.

Great advice from a great coach!

* Originally published on May 8, 2018, by Alissa Hiener