Kortan Named Men's Golf Head Coach

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M Director of Athletics Ross Bjork named Brian Kortan as head men's golf coach for the Aggies after a successful season as the team's interim head coach.

Kortan, who joined the Aggie golf program as an assistant in 2013, guided the Aggies to a spot in the NCAA Championships, a pair of tournament victories and the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Championship after taking over the Aggies on an interim basis last August. Bjork removed the interim tag after a national search that was aided by Turnkey Coaching Solutions.
 
"Coach Kortan has been an essential part of this program for many years, and he's played a strategic role in its success," Bjork said. "We did our due diligence with a national search and we kept coming back to Brian as the man to beat. He led our program this year with great poise and is ready take on this opportunity. He's a tremendous golf technician and his players love him. The men's golf program will thrive under Brian's leadership, and I'm excited about the future of Aggie Golf."
 
Kortan said, "Being named the head golf coach at Texas A&M leaves me a little bit speechless, to be honest. This team and this community mean everything to me, and I consider it a tremendous honor to coach the Aggies. I think this program has unlimited potential and I look forward to the challenge of building on the tradition of excellence produced by Bob Ellis and J.T. Higgins. I want to thank J.T. for bringing me to Aggieland in 2013 and opened the door for me to become the Aggies' head coach."
 
In 2020-21, the Aggies tallied team titles at the Border Olympics and the Aggie Invitational and placed in the top five at four other tournaments. The Aggies were ranked in the top 15 through the season and peaked at No. 6 after the Border Olympics win and a third place finish against a stacked field at the Cabo Collegiate.
 
Under Kortan's guidance, junior Sam Bennett enjoyed one of the greatest individual seasons in school history. Entering 2020-21 without a collegiate victory, Bennett earned first-team PING All-America honors after winning three tournament crowns, including the Cabo Collegiate which came with a PGA Tour exemption to the Valero Texas Open. Bennett was 2-0 in match play at the SEC Championship and he also tallied a runner-up finish at the NCAA Albuquerque Regional.

Bennett, senior Dan Erickson and freshman Daniel Rodrigues received All-SEC recognition, and Bennett and Erickson took PING All-Region honors.
 
Since joining the Texas A&M program, Kortan has helped the team advance to NCAA play six times, including top five national finishes in 2018 and 2019. The 2020 Aggies missed the championship season due to the coronavirus, but finished the year ranked No. 6 by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

Kortan has helped the Aggies to 15 tournament victories during his time in Aggieland, including a school-record six wins in 2018 that helped propel the team to the top spot in the national polls. Additionally, the Aggies were victorious in NCAA regional play in 2018 (NCAA Bryan Regional) and 2019 (NCAA Pullman Regional).

Since the 2013-14 season, Texas A&M has earned nine All-America citations from seven players with Chandler Phillips leading the way with All-America honors in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Additionally, Phillips was named Texas A&M's Co-Athlete of the Year in 2019.
 
Kortan came to Aggieland after spending four seasons (2009-13) as an assistant coach at New Mexico, helping the Lobos advance to match play at the 2013 NCAA Championship and post a fifth-place finish which stood out as the second-highest in school history. Along the way, UNM posted wins in five tournaments including the Mountain West Conference Tournament and the NCAA Columbus Regional. The Lobos earned an NCAA Regional berth in three of the four seasons with Kortan on staff.
 
UNM has produced a trio of All-Americans in his last two seasons, including 2013 Mountain West Player of the Year James Erkenbeck, who claimed first-team honors while Gavin Green earned third-team recognition that same season. In 2012, John Catlin represented the Lobos with an honorable mention All-America selection.
 
Prior to joining the UNM staff, Kortan enjoyed a 16-year professional golf career, competing on various professional golf tours including the PGA, Dakotas, Hooters, Gateway, Adams and Nationwide tours. He played in the 2008 US Open and notched wins at over 15 professional events throughout his career, including the 2009 Capital One Classic and 2008 New Mexico Open.
 
The native of Yankton, S.D., Kortan excelled as a collegiate golfer for the Lobos from 1990-94, where he was a 1992 All-American and Western Athletic Conference champion. He also notched wins at the 1993 Fox Acres Invitational and was an Academic All-America selection in 1994.
 
Kortan graduated from New Mexico in 1994 with a degree in university studies.