WASHINGTON (March 26, 2021) – When Howard University made the announcement that it was starting a golf program for men and women within the department of athletics, it drew huge publicity. That basketball icon Steph Curry and Under Armour were involved with the move gave it even more traction.
 
Amidst all the hoopla, some wondered who would serve as coach of the newly installed program.
 
After a careful search, Howard University made its choice of Sam Puryear as the man assigned to run the program. While those outside the golf world may not know him, in golf circles, Puryear is a legend. Howard could not have done better in its choice.
 
A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., and a graduate of Tennessee State University, Puryear's resume is impressive. The highly successful Puryear has won Pac-10 golf titles at Stanford, Big Ten titles at Michigan State and has been named NCAA national coach of the year for his outstanding leadership in the sport.
 
The Bison's golf season kicks off on Sunday, March 28 at the Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate in Williamsburg, Va., a familiar territory for Puryear.
 
"There is a lot of pieces to this puzzle as we startup," says Puryear. "We have been working hard to improve in all areas. It's a startup program, so we have to put legs underneath it. The spring will serve as a time of evaluation to see improvement in all the players."
 
He adds that because of timing, the pandemic, and the startup of the program, he does not have the full complement of players, but feels that there is a good foundation.
 
"Initially, we will be looking to complete for championships on the team side and on the individual side, we are looking to win tournaments," he said.
 
The Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate runs Monday and Tuesday (March 29-30), starting with a practice round Sunday (March 28), before the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships, April 18-20, in Greensboro, N.C.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.