Fresno State men’s golf coach Chad Spencer did not envision he would one day take over the seat of the head coach he once played under at the school he once starred at — not as a player, at least.
He calls it “a dream come true.”
As a player, Spencer was part of a Western Athletic Conference Championship-winning team in 2003, edging Tulsa in a come-from-behind finish with he and fellow teammates Nick Watney and Ryan Carter anchoring the Bulldogs. He was a first-team All-WAC selection and made an NCAA Regional appearance his senior season in 2004. Fond memories, he calls them.
As Fresno State’s new coach, he’ll get to make more of them.
“It’s been incredible to be able to come back to Fresno State and to coach my alma mater,” Spencer said. “That’s kind of a dream come true in itself. Been real busy putting things together for the season — recruiting, making sure the team has what it needs. The first week of practice has been great. We have some real talent on this team, and it’s exciting.”
Spencer was picked to succeed Mike Watney, Fresno State’s coach for 35 years whose teams brought home 12 conference championships, produced 29 All-Americans and made 33 NCAA appearances. His successor, Watney said after news of Spencer’s hire, was “one of my all-time favorite players… The Valley will love him.”
“He’s (Watney) a legend here in Fresno,” Spencer said. “I’m going to forge my own path as a coach. I’m going to obviously take things that I learned from him and use those things, but I’ll have my own touch.
“I think I can forge my own path and create a successful program and continue the legacy that he built.”
Spencer inherits a young team. Sophomore Troix Tonkham had a breakout season last year and Nate Jessup returns as one of Fresno State’s two seniors.
Tonkham and Jessup bring a dose of needed consistency to a Bulldogs lineup that will face early challenges, Spencer said. Their status as the team’s leaders was made evident quickly: “Through the first week of practice you already know that,” Spencer said.
The Saint Mary’s College Invitational in Monterey on Sept. 23-24 features Cal, which was top-ranked nationally last season.
“They’re going to get thrown right into the fire,” Spencer said, “and I think they’re going to react well. Like I said, we have a good returning core, but we need those young guys to step up and help them out.”
Spencer spent the last three seasons as head coach of Nevada’s women’s golf program and was a graduate assistant at Fresno State during the 2004-05 season.
A Mountain West Conference Championship is Fresno State’s main goal heading into this season.
“Overall, we’re a young team,” Spencer said. “But we do have a good mix of veterans on the team, which will allow us to have some experience going into the season. But progressing throughout the season is something we’re definitely going to do.”