On Sept. 19, Guilford College Athletics Director and head men’s basketball coach Tom Palombo announced that Justin Tereshko would be replacing Corey Maggard as the new head coach for the Guilford men’s golf program.
“Justin is a quality person who will put in the time to continue the strong tradition we have had in men’s golf,” said Palombo in an email interview with the Guilfordian.
“His ability to relate to the student athletes will help him not only be successful this season but for years to come.”
Maggard resigned from Guilford in August to become an assistant men’s golf coach at Auburn University.
“I hope to leave a lasting impression on the players here,” said Tereshko. “I hope they are better men when they leave as seniors than they were when they came in as first years.”
“I want all of them to get a quality education, and at the same time, to compete for a national championship.”
Before coming to Guilford, Tereshko spent the majority of the past two seasons as assistant coach for men’s and women’s golf at DePauw University.
During Tereshko’s time at DePauw, the school placed eighth at the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championships and won two North Coast Athletic Conference titles.
Tereshko spent the fall 2012 season as interim head coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams at Huntingdon College after graduating from Transylvania University with a degree in exercise science.
During his career, Tereshko was an accomplished golfer at Transylvania under head coach Brian Lane.
Tereshko was named a two-time Division III PING All-American and helped the university place second in the 2012 Division III Championships.
This was one of four NCAA appearances in Tereshko’s career.
Additionally Maggard was Tereshko’s assistant coach for his the latter’s first two student years at Transylvania.
With that in mind, is Tereshko nervous about filling his former coach’s shoes?
“No, not really. I know Corey was a great coach, and I learned a lot from him,” said Tereshko in an email interview.
“I have been preparing for the last two years for an opportunity like this and I feel like I’m ready.”
The players seem eager to work with Tereshko and learn from him.
“I dig his confidence,” said senior Travis Tolbert.
“I believe when you have a coach that is very confident and sure of himself, it bleeds into the whole team.
“He is very approachable as a coach, and if you have a question, he will give you his honest answer. I believe that is an important (quality) to have in a coach.”
Tereshko also participates in competitive play, including the recent 2014 United States Amateur Championship, where he finished 24 in the stroke play portion.
Tereshko then continued to the match play portion where he won his first match 7 – 6 against a top 15 ranked amateur in the world.
The experience left a marked impression on him.
“Playing in the U.S. Amateur against the best players in the world was an eye opening experience,” said Tereshko.
“I know what it takes to reach the next level in amateur golf. It will not only help me in my playing career, but, more importantly, in my coaching career.”
Tereshko believes his experiences in the U.S. Amateur Championship will give him a unique perspective to share with his players.
“I learned things that week that I can pass onto my players and help them reach the next level of their game.”
