2016 & 2017 Southland Conference Coach of the Year
2016 Louisiana Coach of the Year
Austin Burk is arguably one of the most successful up-and-coming golf head coaches in all of college golf.
Entering his sixth season as the head of the McNeese Cowboys golf program, Burk has completely overhauled the program, bringing it from the bottom when he arrived, to the top of the Southland Conference the last two seasons.
A two-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year (2016 and 2017) as well as the 2016 Louisiana Coach of the Year, Burk, year-in and year-out, has assembled one of the best teams in the region.
Since his arrival in 2013, Burk has coached 10 All-SLC selections including four first teamers. Last season, both Andreas Krokeide and Daniel O'Loughlin were voted onto the first team marking just the third time in school history the program has had multiple players on the top squad (1984, 1986). O'Loughlin was also named the league's Freshman of the Year, giving Burk and the Cowboys three of the Southland Conference's top freshmen in the last four seasons.
Burk and the Cowboys are coming off a second-straight conference championship in 2017, one year after coaching his team to its first league title in 36 years. In addition, the Cowboys advanced to the NCAA Regionals for the third-consecutive time.
He's brought glory to a golf program that ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation by Golfstat in the fall of 2015 while adding standout players such as Hampus Bergman and Bob MacIntyre, both who garnered SLC Freshman of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons and both who have gone on to start professional careers in Europe.
MacIntyre recently advanced to the round of 32 at this year's PGA Amateur Championships and was a member of the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team. He's currently ranked No. 14 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
The 2016-17 season wasn't as smooth as the previous year with the loss of Martin Eriksson, who became the program's first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2016 while leading McNeese to its first league title in 36 years.
The Cowboys got some help, however, from sophomore Blake Elliott, who finished in a tie for fifth at the SLC Championships as well as veterans Andreas Krokeide who tied for 11th and Ian Berrigan who finished 15th - all having a big hand in McNeese repeating as conference champions.
At the Austin Regional, the Cowboys got off to a slow start but improved every day and in the final round, shot the third-lowest team score of the day to finish in 10th place out of 14 teams.
In 2016, Burk led the Cowboys to their first Southland Conference team championship in 36 years, winning by seven strokes, while sending the team to its second consecutive NCAA Regional appearance.
Led by Eriksson, who became the first Cowboy golfer to win the league individual title, also in 36 years. Eriksson would go on to repeat as GCAA All-America Scholar, the SLC's Student-Athlete of the Year, and become the first McNeese men's golfer to be named a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
The Cowboys spent most of the 2015-16 season ranked in the Top 50 in the nation and at one point, ranked as high as No. 2.
McNeese finished second at the SLC Championships in 2015 for its highest finish since the 1989 season. The Cowboys held the lead for most of the tourney before Sam Houston State rallied in the final nine holes to win by two strokes.
But the season wasn't over for the Cowboys as they were awarded an at-large bid into the NCAA North Carolina Regional where they finished seventh out of 13 teams and less than 10 strokes from advancing to the NCAA Championships.
“Lake Charles has some of the best golf courses in the south," said Burk. "And McNeese has strong support from alumni and former lettermen. I have no doubt that our goals of championships, post-season play and academic success will all be continued.”
With strong recruiting ties overseas in Europe, Burk has been able to piece together championship caliber teams since his arrival.
Those teams have produced back-to-back Southland Conference and Louisiana Freshmen of the Year (Hampus Bergman, Bob MacIntyre). Bergman became first player in school history to be named the league's Freshman of the Year and just the third to garner the Louisiana (LSWA) freshman honors after he posted a 71.9 per round average for the season. In addition, he earned all-SLC second team honors while Eriksson picked up third team accolades.
Burk was instrumental in cutting the team's national ranking from 265 to 70 with two recruiting classes. That ranking rose to as high as No. 2 by Golfweek after the Cowboys won the Sam Hall Intercollegiate to start the 2015 fall season.
Since then, the Cowboys have maintained a top 75 ranking in large part to their success while playing against tough competition.
Burk has also gotten the job done in the fundraising department as he's raised over $500,000 for the program in his five years which has been pivotal in helping him run a competitive program.
As an assistant coach at Baylor and Rice prior to his arrival at McNeese in the summer of 2012, Burk helped his teams advance to the NCAA regionals, twice as the assistant coach at Baylor (2011-12 season and 2010-11 season) and once as an assistant coach at Rice (2009-10 season). He also served as an assistant coach at Baylor in 2006-07 when the team advanced to the regional tournament.
At Baylor, Burk compiled two tournament wins and six top-5 finishes in 2010-11 and had one tournament win and eigth top-5 finishes in 2011-12. He also coached Baylor to its 15th consecutive postseason appearance.
He signed Kyle Jones, the No. 24 ranked college player in the country while his freshman class in 2011-12 led the nation in scoring average. Four players were named Academic All-Big 12 in 2011-12 and he coached Joakim Mikkelson who won the 2012 Big 12 Championship.
Burk is the 12th head coach in McNeese golf history.
In 2012, Baylor finished fifth in the Big 12 championship tournament with standout Joakim Mikkelsen winning the individual title.
In his three year stint at Rice, Burk helped the Owls win their first team championship since 1998 and make their first NCAA post season appearance in 13 years. They also tied for second in the C-USA tournament. Additionally during his final season at Rice, the Owls had all 10 golfers named to the C-USA Commissioner’s honor roll.
Burk was a member of the golf team at Baylor during his collegiate career, playing on the Bears’ 2001 Big 12 championship team. He won the Texas Collegaite Amateur title the same year. Following graduation he competed on the Tight Lies and the Grey Goose professional tours.
In 2003 he served as the boys’ and girls’ golf coach at Preparatory School in Waco in 2003, leading the boys’ team into the state tournament.
A fifth generation Baylor graduate and a member of the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), Burk is married to the former Amber Alcala and the couple has two daughters - Caroline and Camille, and a son, Austin Burk III.
What others are saying about Austin Burk:
“He (Austin) was a tremendous asset to our program at Rice for three seasons and really enabled us to reach some incredible goals, with his attention to detail with recruiting, course management, tournament operations and especially fund raising. The Cowboy golf program is in excellent hands with Austin Burk!”
Drew Scott, former Head Men’s Golf Coach at Rice University and current assistant women’s golf coach at the University of Oregon
“Austin is a hard worker and is an asset and perfect fit for this program.”
Greg Priest, Head Men’s Golf Coach at Baylor
“Austin is going to make a tremendous impact on the golf program at McNeese State. He has been a great Assistant Coach at Rice University and Baylor University. Austin is a great recruiter and very well connected among coaches."
Jonathan Dismuke, Head Men’s Golf Coach at University of Houston
“Austin is a rising star in the business and will undoubtedly bring much success to McNeese State. I am very excited for him with this opportunity ahead of him.”
Greg Sands, Head Coach at Texas Tech University
