Marshall University’s Joe Feaganes has dedicated his life to Thundering Herd golf.
Feaganes, a Marshall alumnus, is the head coach of the men’s golf team and has been with the program for 38 years.
“Marshall has had a long standing tradition as being a great golf program before I came here,” Feaganes said.
Most people wouldn’t know how rich in tradition Marshall golf really is until they have walked into Feaganes’ office. He has wall-to-wall plaques, pictures, trophies and Herd memorabilia.
High marks in the classroom as well as on the golf course marked his stay in Huntington from 1962-1966 while he was a standout golfer for the Herd. During that time, a freshman team did not exist, so Feaganes didn’t get to play much with the team until his junior year.
Feagans was the captain of the team his junior and senior year and won the Mid-American Conference individual championship and team championship in 1966. He graduated from Marshall in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education and speech.
“I think a highlight of my collegiate career was winning the Mid-American championship as a team more than the individual championship,” Feaganes said. “I’ve always put the team before the individual accolades.”
He would qualify for the U.S. Amateur in 1968 and go on to finish runner-up in the West Virginia Amateur in 1975.
“I got the privilege to attend a dinner during the U.S. Amateur, and the speaker there was Lee Trevino,” Feaganes said. “I actually sat across the table from a guy that just graduated from Stanford University, PGA Tour great Tom Watson.”
Closing out the 1970s, Feaganes was very active as an Amateur golfer playing in and winning several tournaments.
“I had several other top five finishes in the state amateur at the Greenbrier,” Feaganes said. “I was pretty active playing, but once I got into coaching, I got my biggest thrills.”
Feaganes was more than just coach in the 1980s and ‘90s.
He was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 1992. He served as chairman for the NCAA national golf committee from 1985-1990, was part of the NCAA District III golf advisory committee, Southern Conference golf committee, Mid-American Conference Executive committee and the USGA Collegiate Relations committee.
From 2000-2003, he coached the U.S. team to play against Japan. Feaganes also coached the U.S. in the Palmer Cup, which is a Ryder Cup-style tournament pitting the best U.S. collegiate golfers against the best European competition.
“Way back before the Palmer Cup, if you were one of the top players in the country you were chosen to play on the US or Japan team,” Feaganes said. “The Palmer Cup is now the first-team All-Americans and the US-Japan team is more or less the second and third team respectively.”
After the women’s golf team was absent from Marshall for almost 20 years, Feaganes reinstated it in 2002. He relinquished his duties of the women’s team after the 2003-2004 season. He is now the director of golf for the men’s golf team.
“I’ve always felt like with coaching you can’t just be a coach, get your paycheck and try to have winning seasons,” Feaganes said. “I think you also have to give back to your sport because that’s what paved the way.”
Feaganes said good coaching tries to mold players into well-rounded people.
“Our role as coach is to not only set examples, but you are trying to make these players better men than they were when they came here,” Feaganes said.
Feaganes also stressed that he is a disciplinarian.
“I’m big on discipline,” Feaganes said. “I don’t care what sport it is, you have to have discipline. I think young people now need discipline and they look for it because you don’t know how much they get before they come to campus.”
Feaganes has some help with the team with volunteer assistant Pat Carter, who was also a standout player for the Herd from 1986-1990.
“Coach and I have had a great working relationship as well as coaching relationship,” Carter said. “He was a great mentor. Not only did he lead me, but he has led players throughout the years to become better people not just golfers.”
When talking about plans to retire, Feaganes was very adamant about staying until his 40th season.
“Not too many people have the opportunity to come back to their alma mater and do something that they love, and Marshall golf has been a part of my life since 1962,” Feaganes said.
Will Selbee can be contacted at selbeejr@marshall.edu.
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