Head Coach Grant Robbins

Grant Robbins, a veteran coach with more than 20 years of experience building and leading programs to postseason appearances, enters his 10th season at Kansas State in 2023-24. Robbins, who has garnered four coach of the year honors in three different conferences – including the 2023 Big 12 Coach of the Year award – and has guided eight teams to NCAA play, was tabbed the 13th head coach in K-State men’s golf history on May 18, 2014.

In nine seasons in Manhattan, K-State has produced quality performances on the course with a bright future ahead. The 2022-23 season was perhaps the best season in school history as it saw the Wildcats earn their second-straight NCAA Regional bid, the first time K-State advanced to the postseason in consecutive years since 2008 and 2009. The Wildcats, who were the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Bath (Mich.) Regional, narrowly missed qualifying for their first ever NCAA Championship as they battled for the final two spots with Texas and Florida, the latter of which went on to win the National Championship.

Even though the team did not advance to the NCAA Championship, Robbins coached Luke O’Neill to an individual appearance thanks to a tie for second place in the NCAA Bath Regional. O’Neill was the fifth Wildcat to ever compete in the NCAA Championship and the first since 2006.

The Wildcats put together seven top-five finishes – including four wins – during the 2022-23 campaign to tie for second in school history in both categories. Thanks to Robbins’ tutelage, K-State recorded a school-record 281.47 team stroke average, the lowest in school history by nearly seven shots per round. Eight of the top-20 team rounds in school history also came during the 2022-23 campaign in addition to five of the top-15 54-hole scores. On an individual level, four of the top six – and each of the top three – season stroke average marks came during the 2022-23 season, including a school-record average of 70.21 by Tim Tillmanns. Tillmanns also tied the school's 54-hole score record with a winning score of 198 at The Johnnie-O.

That season also saw the end of an illustrious career for Will Hopkins, who finished second in school history with a 72.29 career stroke average, while he also ranked in the top 10 in career tournaments played (6th; 47) and career rounds played (9th; 128).

Due to all of K-State’s accomplishments during the 2022-23 season, Robbins was named the Big 12 Men’s Golf Coach of the Year, the first time in school history a K-State men’s golf coach earned the honor.

The 2022-23 season was a continuation of success under Robbins. During his time at K-State, the Wildcats have produced 34 top-five team finishes and six victories. Five of the top-10 team stroke averages have come under Robbins as well as 13 of the program’s lowest 25 team scores and 14 of the program’s lowest 54-hole team scores. In terms of individual play, Robbins has had Wildcats earn five individual regional bids to NCAA Regionals, while nine of the program’s 24 lowest individual rounds and 13 of the lowest 30 individual 54-hole scores have occurred with Robbins as the head coach.

K-State went on to compete in the 2022 NCAA Normal Regional as the 2021-22 squad broke the school record with a 288.24 stroke average before the next year’s squad shattered the mark. The 2021-22 squad put together six top-five finishes en route to its first regional bid since 2009.

The 2020-21 Wildcats finished in the top five three times, featuring a victory at the Git-R-Done Husker Invitational. The team carded the second-best team stroke average in school history at the time with a 288.60. Hopkins and Tillmanns each had a pair of top-five finishes to lead the Wildcats throughout the 2020-21 campaign, and Tillmanns went on to earn a bid as an individual into the NCAA Stillwater Regional.

The 2018-19 season saw another outstanding team for Robbins as the squad tied for seventh in school history with five top five-finishes, highlighted by a win at the Mission Inn Spring Spectacular. Roland Massimino, Jacob Eklund and Jeremey Gandon all represented K-State at the NCAA Athens Regional, the second time in school history multiple individuals competed in the postseason (2010), and the first time the Wildcats ever sent three individuals to a regional.

That season was the last for Gandon, who left as K-State’s all-time career stroke average leader. Robbins coached Gandon, a product of Charpey, France, to an individual Big 12 Championship during his junior season of 2017-18, becoming the Wildcats’ first conference medalist since Graham Hunt in 1951. The individual title paved the way for him to earn an individual berth into the NCAA Pacific Regional. Gandon finished his career with four wins to rank second in school history.

Massimino also had an outstanding senior season for Robbins in 2018-19 as he tallied the lowest single-season stroke average in school history at the time with a 71.33.

Matt Green enjoyed success under Robbins as he finished his career in 2016-17 tied for fifth in school history in career stroke average at 73.79. He also tied for sixth with 44 career tournaments played and earned an individual bid into the NCAA San Diego Regional as a sophomore in the spring of 2015.

Robbins is a proven program builder with stops at UNC Wilmington and Memphis, the latter being his alma mater where he spent the 11 seasons prior to coming to K-State. Robbins led the Tigers to five NCAA Regional appearances, including four-consecutive berths.

The Conference USA (C-USA) Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2012, Robbins presided over 55 top-five team finishes during his time at Memphis, including 11 tournament titles. Memphis captured the C-USA Championship in 2012 on its way to a NCAA Championship appearance. In addition, Robbins guided individuals to 17 tournament titles, led by Jonathan Fly's medalist performance at the 2011 C-USA Championship.

Under Robbins' tutelage, Fly was a three-time First Team All-Conference USA performer, the 2010 C-USA Newcomer of the Year and a PING All-Region performer in 2012. Another protégé, Keven Fortin-Simard, earned C-USA Golfer of the Year honors in 2006. The Tigers accumulated 14 all-conference performances under Robbins in addition to five players that were named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team.

Of the top 16 single-season individual stroke averages in Memphis history at the time of his departure, 14 were under Robbins' watch, while all 10 of the school's lowest 54-hole team scores came during his tenure.

Off the course, Robbins has put a strong emphasis on academics as his 2011, 2012 and 2013 teams each garnered the C-USA Sport Academic Award given to the team in each conference-sponsored sport with the highest grade-point average for that academic year. In addition, Tiger golfers were named to the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-America Scholar teams eight times, while he saw three Memphis golfers named the C-USA Scholar Athlete of the Year, including two-time recipient Brad Benjamin (2008-09).

In his 10 seasons at Kansas State, Robbins’ teams have combined for 29 Academic All-Big 12 honors, including 26 first-team honors. The 2016-17 and 2017-18 squads each placed a program-record six golfers on the Academic All-Big 12 team. Robbins has also had four Wildcats named to the GCAA/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars team in Jack Rickabaugh (2015-16), Kyle Weldon (2015-16), Gandon (2017-18) and Massimino (2017-18).

Prior to Memphis, Robbins served as the head coach at UNC Wilmington for four seasons (1999-2003). During his stint guiding the Seahawks, Robbins' teams carded 28 top-three finishes, 11 tournament victories and a 2003 NCAA Regional berth, the first in program history.

Robbins, the 2001 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Coach of the Year, coached one CAA Golfer of the Year, two CAA Rookies of the Year and 13 All-CAA performers. In addition, seven different golfers were individual medalists.

Before taking the UNC Wilmington position, Robbins served as an assistant coach at Penn State from 1997 to 1999 as he helped the Nittany Lions advance to two-straight NCAA East Regionals (1998, 1999). Robbins, the program's recruiting coordinator, was the Penn State Golf Camps instructor and Rutherford Intercollegiate tournament director.

Robbins was a four-year letterwinner at Memphis from 1991 to 1994 and served as a team captain his junior and senior seasons. A 2010 inductee into the Tiger Hall of Fame, he was an All-Great Midwest Conference team selection three times (1992, 1993, 1994) and also a Jake Fondren Golf Scholarship recipient.

Following his career at Memphis, Robbins gained valuable experience on three professional golf tours, the North Florida PGA Winter Tour (1994-95), Tommy Armour Professional Golf Tour (1994-95) and Tour America Mid-South Professional Golf Tour (1995). He entered the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) in August 2007 and is now a PGA Class A Professional.

The Memphis, Tennessee, native earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from Memphis in 1994 and returned to his hometown university after his playing career to earn his master's degree in sports management in 1997.

Robbins and his wife, Brooke, have two boys, Bryce and Brayden, and one daughter, Elizabeth.