Passionate Webb Seeks To Build Vol Golf Into National Contender

By Rhiannon Potkey / Special to UTsports.com

It was his first free fall Saturday in 1994, and Brennan Webb was about to get his indoctrination to the South.

The Canadian was a freshman golfer at East Tennessee State University, and his teammate Garrett Willis, a graduate of Knoxville's Farragut High, had tickets to a University of Tennessee football game.

They packed into the car and made the pilgrimage to Knoxville. As he walked into Neyland Stadium, Webb marveled at the atmosphere.

"That was my first exposure to big-time college athletics. It was something that always stuck with me," Webb said. "I could tell Tennessee was a special place and really feel the passion everyone had for that game on that Saturday."

Little did he know then, but Webb would be returning to UT 24 years later in a more permanent capacity.

Webb was introduced as the university's new men's golf coach on July 13 at the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio.

Surrounded by administrators, former players, current players and family, Webb expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to guide the Vols and excitement about trying to build the program into a national contender.

The state of Tennessee has become a second home to Webb, and he won't be traveling far to relocate for the new job.

Webb spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Middle Tennessee State University, leading the Blue Raiders to the 2018 Conference USA championship and a second straight NCAA regional appearance last year.

"I have loved my time in Tennessee, and I really love the people," Webb said. "To be able to coach at the flagship university in the state—a place where all the kids want to go—was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up."

Webb's devotion to golf developed at an early age. His dad was a golf professional at the South Muskoka Curling and Golf Club in Bracebridge, Ontario. Although Webb didn't get into curling—opting for basketball and hockey during the winters—he became immersed in golf.

His family lived on the 11th tee of the course, and Webb spent hours and hours honing his skills with the full support of his parents.

"The best thing that ever happened to me was having the parents I do," Webb said. "I saw how hard they worked at their jobs as school teachers and running the golf course. They essentially worked two full-time jobs for 25 years, and it afforded me and my sister the opportunities we have had. To see that work ethic and passion to help so many young people through school teaching and golf really inspired me."

During Webb's playing career at ETSU, the Bucs were ranked No. 1 in the nation and finished third at the NCAA Championships his junior year.

After graduating with a degree in finance in 1997, Webb spent a few years playing professionally on various circuits before deciding to enter the coaching field.

Webb begged to get on staff at the University of South Florida for a $20,000 position and immediately showcased an aptitude for recruiting by signing two of the top five players in Florida.

"I realized right then I had a passion for coaching and wished I had done it 10 years earlier," Webb said. "The job is really everything I love combined into one. I can be competitive and fuel those juices while being able to help kids along in their process. I lived the life they are living and want to live, and I want to help them reach their potential."

Before being hired at MTSU, Webb spent three years at Georgia Tech as an assistant coach/associate head coach. The Yellow Jackets captured two Atlantic Coast Conference championships in that span and produced numerous All-Americans.

"Coach Webb has a very special way with people. Both young and old are drawn to his energy and confidence, which is a tremendous gift in recruiting and program building," said Georgia Tech head coach Bruce Heppler. "Additionally, he has the special ability of helping people believe in themselves like they never have done before."

Webb's recruiting prowess stems largely from his relatability and self-deprecating nature. He appears comfortable in any atmosphere and projects authenticity.

"I am brutally honest, and I think that kind of helps me in the recruiting process more than anything," Webb said. "A lot of places, when kids take official visits, they just show them the highlights and how things are so great and the facilities and the football games. That is part of it for me—and certainly we'll be able to do that here since we have everything we need—but I let them know right away what my expectations are and how hard it is going to be to live up to those expectations. I think some kids are drawn to that and some kids aren't. The ones that are will have success here if they come for the right reasons."

As he watched his new coach get introduced last Friday, Tennessee junior Brayden Garrison was eager to finally get to work with him. Garrison, a Nolensville, Tennessee, native, has friends on the MTSU team and gained some insight from their experiences playing for Webb.

"He is a great developer of programs, and he is somebody we need to take us to the next level because we have so much talent. We just need somebody to push us harder than we have ever been pushed before," Garrison said. "He brings a high level to this program, and we are ready for any challenge that he brings us."

During his opening remarks, Webb briefly choked up when thanking his wife, Carrie, a former college tennis player, and two young daughters, Nalla and Skye.

Dressed in matching white dresses, Skye was still brimming with excitement from her baseball team winning a title in Murfreesboro, while Nalla was imagining the possibilities of decorating her bedroom in a Hollywood theme once they move to Knoxville.

"They are my everything," Webb said. "Without the support and love they have given me for the last seven years in coaching, we wouldn't be where we are, and that is the most important thing that has allowed me to be standing here."

In a few months, Webb will be back in Neyland Stadium watching another game just like he was in 1994. Only this time, he'll be wearing orange and white and representing the Vols.

The memory of his first college football Saturday in Knoxville and the passion of the fans never left Webb as he climbed the coaching ladder.

"There were jobs I'd look at and say 'boy, it'd sure be great if I could be the head coach at that program,'" he said. "I'm going to lie if I say that the University of Tennessee wasn't at the top of the list."

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