June 22, 2011
Vanderbilt men’s golf assistant coach Justin Emil has accepted the head coach position at Rice University, it was announced Wednesday in a release made by the Owls. Emil spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Commodores under current head coach Tom Shaw.
“It’s been a great five years at Vanderbilt,” said Emil. “I’ve enjoyed working alongside a wonderful staff, especially under the direction of head golf coach, Tom Shaw. Tom has been a mentor to me and is a fantastic coach. There are special things in the future for the Vanderbilt men’s golf program under his direction.
“It will be an exciting, but sad day, when my wife Amber and I leave Nashville to embark on our new life in the city of Houston.”
During his time at Vanderbilt with Shaw, the Commodores won three team championships — the Samford Intercollegiate, the 2009 Seminole Intercollegiate, and the 2008 Kauai Collegiate Cup — and boasted four individual winners while earning postseason NCAA berths in 2007 and 2009.
“We are thrilled to see Justin achieve his dream of becoming a head coach,” said Vanderbilt head coach Tom Shaw. “He’s a fine man that served the Vanderbilt men’s golf team well during his five years here. I have confidence that he will make the transition to Rice, another outstanding academic institution, with ease. We wish him the best for he and his wife, Amber, as they start on these new endeavors.”
“Justin brings the qualities that are critically important for a successful Rice coach,” said Rice Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan in a release made by the school. “He is bright, articulate, passionate and has served very effectively at a similar institution that competes in the classroom and on the golf course at the highest level. He has strong beliefs that academic excellence and athletic greatness are not mutually exclusive. Justin has a very solid plan for growing our golf program competitively, being actively engaged in community outreach and fundraising and being a strong member of the Rice community.”