MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — That’s how one parent described the unusual journey of Jason McCoy — a man who never played golf but now finds himself leading Marana High School’s boys golf team.
It was in July — the day after Amie Cormell became athletic director at Marana High School — when longtime golf coach Robin Head passed away.
“It was a big loss and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do because the golf season was starting a few weeks later,” Cormell said.
With no coach, Marana’s Gage McCoy and the Tigers worried they wouldn’t even be able to hit the links this season.
“I remember the first day of school, I asked Ms. Cormell, 'Do we have a coach?' And she said no,” Gage said. “And so I was like, I don’t think we are going to be able to play this year.”
That’s when Gage’s dad stepped in.
“So, I was like, I’ll find somebody for you,” McCoy said.
McCoy manages a car window tinting store — and isn’t a golfer. Still, he was determined to make sure his son and the team had a season.
“I couldn’t find anybody, couldn’t find anybody,” McCoy said.
After searching without success, McCoy decided to apply for the job himself.
“He put his application in. I called him right away. We had a great conversation,” Cormell said.
But there was one problem: McCoy’s answer to a key interview question.
“What do you know about golf? And, I’m a very honest guy. I said absolutely nothing. I can try to figure out things, but I don’t know anything,” McCoy recalled.
Cormell said McCoy was upfront about his lack of experience. But regardless, the job was his.
“The biggest thing is that you are providing leadership, a mentor, guiding them, and managing people,” Cormell said.
For Gage, the moment he found out his dad was the new coach came as a surprise.
“We were sitting at dinner. He said you have a season this year. I said, ‘Who’s the coach?’ He said it’s me,” Gage said.
“What resonated with them and with me that still does is the whole goal is to build better humans, and the tool that I’ve been given is golf,” McCoy said.
Since then, McCoy has thrown himself into learning the sport.
“[I learned] how to do short game, how to do the longer drive,” McCoy said.
He even brought in experts and studied the AIA rule book.
“I went down the rabbit hole of [the] AIA rule book, YouTube, how to be a coach,” McCoy said. “It’s like a mechanic, how to change the belt and changing and not letting the boss know.”
Players and parents say his care and commitment are showing.
“He’s really taking care of these boys more than you could ask of any coach,” Cormell said.
With McCoy leading the way, the Tigers have already won three of their first seven matches and are in contention for postseason play.
“I’m proud of him to get us to where we are now. We are a really solid team,” Gage said.
As for whether Marana will look for a more conventional golf coach next year?
“Oh, he’s doing great, he’s coming back next year,” Cormell said.