Louisiana Tech Names Keenan Hickton Head Men's Golf Coach
7/6/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Award-winning coach arrives after leading Sewanee to back-to-back conference championships and a historic NCAA finish
RUSTON – Louisiana Tech Vice President and Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey announced Monday that Keenan Hickton has been named the Bulldogs' head men's golf coach.
Hickton arrives in Ruston after two highly successful seasons as the head coach at Sewanee, where he led the Tigers to consecutive Southern Athletic Association championships and the highest national finish in program history.
"Keenan emerged as the clear choice to lead our men's golf program because of his proven ability to develop student-athletes, build a championship culture, and lead with integrity," Ivey said. "Throughout the search process, he demonstrated a clear vision for the future of Louisiana Tech Golf and an understanding of what it takes to compete for championships in the Sun Belt Conference while developing young men who will be successful long after their playing days are over. We are excited to welcome Keenan to Ruston and look forward to the impact he will have on our golf program, department and University and community."
Hickton was named the 2026 NCAA Division III Dave Williams National Coach of the Year after guiding Sewanee to an historic campaign. The Tigers recorded eight top-five finishes, including in all seven spring tournaments, captured two tournament titles and finished fourth at the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship, the best national finish in program history.
Sewanee opened the 2025-26 season by winning the Gate City Invitational before claiming its second consecutive SAA Championship by 13 strokes. The Tigers shattered the conference championship scoring record with a three-round total of 837 (-27). Hickton was named the SAA Coach of the Year for the second straight season after leading Sewanee to back-to-back conference titles. Prior to his arrival, the Tigers had won just two conference championships since 1995.
Under Hickton's leadership, Sewanee also produced four PING All-Region IV selections in 2026 after placing four players on the all-region team during his first season. The program earned eight PING All-Region honors during his two-year tenure after totaling just five from 2010-24.
In his first season at Sewanee in 2024-25, Hickton guided the Tigers to the SAA championship and helped his staff earn SAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
"Louisiana Tech has made an outstanding hire in Keenan Hickton," said professional golf coach Brad Pullin. "Keenan has built a reputation as a proven leader, recruiter, and developer of student-athletes. He is an intelligent young man who knows the formula for individuals to maximize scoring that translates to team success. He understands what it takes to create a winning culture while developing young men both on and off the golf course. I'm excited to welcome Keenan to the Louisiana Tech family and look forward to seeing the future of Bulldog Golf under his leadership."
Before taking over at Sewanee, Hickton spent six seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Emory University, including serving as interim head coach for the 2018 fall preview, where the Eagles won the tournament by 24 strokes.
During his six-year stint, Emory compiled an 812-109 head-to-head record, won 22 tournaments, captured three University Athletic Association championships and earned the program's first No. 1 national ranking. The Eagles also posted top-five finishes at the NCAA Division III Championship in 2022 and 2025, including a school-record third-place finish in his final season.
Hickton coached three UAA Players of the Year, a National Freshman of the Year and National Player of the Year Jackson Klutznick, who also represented the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup. He also helped mentor former All-Americans Matt Organisak and Max Schwarz, who advanced to professional careers on the Korn Ferry Tour.
A standout student-athlete at Emory, Hickton helped lead the Eagles to three UAA team championships while earning First Team All-UAA honors as both a junior and senior after collecting second-team recognition as a sophomore. He was named the conference tournament MVP as a senior and finished his career ranked ninth in program history in scoring. Hickton also earned Srixon/Cleveland Golf Division III All-Scholar Team honors twice.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Emory in 2018.
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Hickton arrives in Ruston after two highly successful seasons as the head coach at Sewanee, where he led the Tigers to consecutive Southern Athletic Association championships and the highest national finish in program history.
"Keenan emerged as the clear choice to lead our men's golf program because of his proven ability to develop student-athletes, build a championship culture, and lead with integrity," Ivey said. "Throughout the search process, he demonstrated a clear vision for the future of Louisiana Tech Golf and an understanding of what it takes to compete for championships in the Sun Belt Conference while developing young men who will be successful long after their playing days are over. We are excited to welcome Keenan to Ruston and look forward to the impact he will have on our golf program, department and University and community."
Hickton was named the 2026 NCAA Division III Dave Williams National Coach of the Year after guiding Sewanee to an historic campaign. The Tigers recorded eight top-five finishes, including in all seven spring tournaments, captured two tournament titles and finished fourth at the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship, the best national finish in program history.
Sewanee opened the 2025-26 season by winning the Gate City Invitational before claiming its second consecutive SAA Championship by 13 strokes. The Tigers shattered the conference championship scoring record with a three-round total of 837 (-27). Hickton was named the SAA Coach of the Year for the second straight season after leading Sewanee to back-to-back conference titles. Prior to his arrival, the Tigers had won just two conference championships since 1995.
Under Hickton's leadership, Sewanee also produced four PING All-Region IV selections in 2026 after placing four players on the all-region team during his first season. The program earned eight PING All-Region honors during his two-year tenure after totaling just five from 2010-24.
In his first season at Sewanee in 2024-25, Hickton guided the Tigers to the SAA championship and helped his staff earn SAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
"Louisiana Tech has made an outstanding hire in Keenan Hickton," said professional golf coach Brad Pullin. "Keenan has built a reputation as a proven leader, recruiter, and developer of student-athletes. He is an intelligent young man who knows the formula for individuals to maximize scoring that translates to team success. He understands what it takes to create a winning culture while developing young men both on and off the golf course. I'm excited to welcome Keenan to the Louisiana Tech family and look forward to seeing the future of Bulldog Golf under his leadership."
Before taking over at Sewanee, Hickton spent six seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Emory University, including serving as interim head coach for the 2018 fall preview, where the Eagles won the tournament by 24 strokes.
During his six-year stint, Emory compiled an 812-109 head-to-head record, won 22 tournaments, captured three University Athletic Association championships and earned the program's first No. 1 national ranking. The Eagles also posted top-five finishes at the NCAA Division III Championship in 2022 and 2025, including a school-record third-place finish in his final season.
Hickton coached three UAA Players of the Year, a National Freshman of the Year and National Player of the Year Jackson Klutznick, who also represented the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup. He also helped mentor former All-Americans Matt Organisak and Max Schwarz, who advanced to professional careers on the Korn Ferry Tour.
A standout student-athlete at Emory, Hickton helped lead the Eagles to three UAA team championships while earning First Team All-UAA honors as both a junior and senior after collecting second-team recognition as a sophomore. He was named the conference tournament MVP as a senior and finished his career ranked ninth in program history in scoring. Hickton also earned Srixon/Cleveland Golf Division III All-Scholar Team honors twice.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Emory in 2018.
SUPPORT LA TECH ATHLETICS
Championships require championship resources. Fans can make a direct impact on the success of LA Tech Athletics through LTAC, Aillet Society, T-Club, and Young Alumni program as well as the CHAMP fund, a revenue-sharing initiative designed to directly support LA Tech Athletics through NIL and marketing opportunities for Bulldog and Lady Techster student-athletes. Visit BuildTheLegacy.com today.
BARK LOUDER
Our mission is to engage, develop, and advance the Louisiana Tech Athletics brand. You can do that by spending time consuming our content and by investing your talents. By barking louder with your time and talent, you can affect progress and brand advancement in a meaningful way. Visit LATechSports.com/BarkLouder today. You bark. We bark. Louder together.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Golf, follow us on X (@LATechGolf), Instagram (@LATech_Golf), and Facebook (LATechGolf).
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