Georgia
Legendary Georgia Tech coach Bruce Heppler, 10-time ACC coach of the year, to retire
Head coach Bruce Heppler has been the architect of one of college golf’s most consistent powerhouses at Georgia Tech, crafting an exceptional record of success since taking over the reins of the program in 1995.
The Yellow Jackets haven’t missed the NCAA regionals since 1998, an incredible stretch of 27 consecutive berths. The program has advanced to 22 NCAA finals, and claimed four national runner-up finishes as well. Most recently, Tech reached the NCAA semifinals in both 2023 and 2024 — finishing second in 2023 and tying for third in 2024. Remarkably, since 2000, the Jackets have fallen outside the top 10 in the major college golf polls only five times.
But Heppler, who is 65, has announced that he will retire following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
“Georgia Tech is a special place, and to be a part of this school, this athletics department and this historic golf program has been an honor,” Heppler said in a release. “It’s meaningful to me that my career as a head coach, and all of the relationships that come with that, are tied to one place – Georgia Tech.
“To the men that have come through our program: I’ve had the privilege of having a front-row seat to when many of your dreams came true, and to see the growth in each one of you. I hope that maybe we’ve altered your course in some small way – not just as golfers, but as people, husbands and fathers.”
The 10-time ACC Coach of the Year has mentored a pair of NCAA champions (Troy Matteson in 2002 and Hiroshi Tai in 2024), three national players of the year (Matt Kuchar in 1998 and 2000, Bryce Molder in 2001 and Matteson in 2002), three U.S. Amateur champions (Kuchar in 1997, Andy Ogletree in 2019 and Tyler Strafaci in 2020) and a British Amateur champ (Christo Lamprecht in 2023).
“I’d also like to acknowledge the generosity of those who have donated to our program over the years. Nothing could have been achieved without those resources that you provided. (Former athletics director) Homer Rice told me when he hired me that I won’t find a place that people love more than here at Georgia Tech, and that has proven to be true. The trophies will stay here, but the relationships will travel. The goal when I arrived on The Flats in 1995 was to leave things better than I found them, and I hope that is the case.”
Heppler, who hails from St. George, Utah, and spent three years as an assistant at Oklahoma State before heading to Georgia Tech, was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013.
“It’s impossible to put into words everything that Coach Heppler has meant to Georgia Tech and college golf,” Georgia Tech vice president and director of athletics Ryan Alpert said. “He’s built Georgia Tech golf into one of the nation’s premier programs, while developing some of golf’s premier players but, more importantly, developing men that have gone on to be successful in all walks of life. We couldn’t be more grateful for Coach Heppler’s contributions to Georgia Tech and are excited to celebrate him through his final season on The Flats.”