%20(1).png&width=36&height=36&type=webp)
University of North Carolina Athletics
Men's Golf's Matt Clark Wins Assistant Coach Of The Year Award
September 7, 2022 | Men's Golf
Matt Clark, the associate head coach of the University of North Carolina men's golf team, is the winner of the 2022 Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year award, presented by TaylorMade Golf Company and the Golf Coaches Association of America.
The award is presented to the assistant coach that, among other things, has excelled in working with their student-athletes both on the course and in the classroom.
"To be recognized with so many other amazing coaches that were nominated is truly an honor," says Clark. "I am grateful and humbled the committee, led by Coach Harrington, has selected me for the Jan Strickland Award. It is a testament of the trust and belief Coach (Andrew) DiBitetto has in me and my abilities as a coach, as well as the willingness of our players to allow me to run alongside of them as they chase their dreams on and off the course. I am fortunate to call myself a coach and appreciate the journey the players have taken me on during my 25 years as a coach. I look forward to the experiences that will come my way in the future."
Clark has helped recruit and coach players that have re-written the Tar Heel record book and developed UNC into one of the top programs in college golf. Carolina has posted four top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships (and was ranked No. 13 by Golfweek when the pandemic curtailed the 2019-20 season), won 10 tournaments and excelled in the classroom.
The 2021-22 season was an exceptional one for Carolina as the Tar Heels won three tournaments in addition to finishing first in stroke play in the ACC Championship and tied for first in stroke play in the NCAA Championship. UNC tied for fifth in the NCAA Championship, advancing to match play for the second year in a row. Three Tar Heels earned All-ACC honors and for the just the second time in school history four players earned All-America accolades. Carolina finished in the top seven in all three major polls.
''Everyone in the Carolina Golf family is ecstatic Coach Clark is receiving the Jan Strickland Award," says DiBitetto. "He brings passion, competitiveness and joy to our program every day. Coach Clark is incredible at building relationships, understanding people, holding everyone to an exceptionally high standard and inspiring them to be their very best. This award means even more because it is voted on by golf coaches. It is a great honor for your peers to recognize the work you have done and I am so grateful the committee has properly recognized what Coach Clark brings to not just Carolina Golf but college golf in general."
The Tar Heels have earned 10 All-America and eight All-ACC honors, won nine individual titles, including an ACC championship, and established nine of the 11-best single-season and eight of the 10-lowest career stroke averages in UNC history during Clark's first five seasons.
Carolina, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt are the only teams to finish in the top 20 in each of the four NCAA Championships held during Clark's tenure in Chapel Hill.
Clark came to Chapel Hill in 2017 after 14 seasons as a Division I head coach – from 2003-08 at Georgia State and 2008-17 at UNCW, where his teams won a combined five conference championships.
DiBitetto won the Jan Strickland Award in 2016 during his six-year stint as an assistant coach with the Tar Heels.
Jan Strickland Award Winners
2022 – Matt Clark, North Carolina
2021 - Bill Allcorn, Oklahoma
2020 - Jean-Paul Hebert, Texas
2019 - Armen Kirakossian, Arizona State
2018 - Corey Maggard, Auburn
2017 - Ryan Blagg, Baylor
2016 - Andrew DiBitetto, North Carolina
2015 - John Handrigan, Florida
2014 - Chris Hill, Houston
2013 - Ryan Murphy, Texas
2012 - Jim Anderson, Texas A&M
2011 - Christian Newton, Georgia Tech
2010 - Michael Burcin, South Carolina
2009 - Brian Sharp, Virginia Tech
2008 - Walter Chun, California
2007 - Andy Bischel, UNLV
2006 - John Knauer, Arizona
2005 - Greg Robertson, Purdue
2004 - Bowen Sargent, Tennessee
2003 - Mike McGraw, Oklahoma State
The award is presented to the assistant coach that, among other things, has excelled in working with their student-athletes both on the course and in the classroom.
"To be recognized with so many other amazing coaches that were nominated is truly an honor," says Clark. "I am grateful and humbled the committee, led by Coach Harrington, has selected me for the Jan Strickland Award. It is a testament of the trust and belief Coach (Andrew) DiBitetto has in me and my abilities as a coach, as well as the willingness of our players to allow me to run alongside of them as they chase their dreams on and off the course. I am fortunate to call myself a coach and appreciate the journey the players have taken me on during my 25 years as a coach. I look forward to the experiences that will come my way in the future."
Clark has helped recruit and coach players that have re-written the Tar Heel record book and developed UNC into one of the top programs in college golf. Carolina has posted four top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships (and was ranked No. 13 by Golfweek when the pandemic curtailed the 2019-20 season), won 10 tournaments and excelled in the classroom.
The 2021-22 season was an exceptional one for Carolina as the Tar Heels won three tournaments in addition to finishing first in stroke play in the ACC Championship and tied for first in stroke play in the NCAA Championship. UNC tied for fifth in the NCAA Championship, advancing to match play for the second year in a row. Three Tar Heels earned All-ACC honors and for the just the second time in school history four players earned All-America accolades. Carolina finished in the top seven in all three major polls.
''Everyone in the Carolina Golf family is ecstatic Coach Clark is receiving the Jan Strickland Award," says DiBitetto. "He brings passion, competitiveness and joy to our program every day. Coach Clark is incredible at building relationships, understanding people, holding everyone to an exceptionally high standard and inspiring them to be their very best. This award means even more because it is voted on by golf coaches. It is a great honor for your peers to recognize the work you have done and I am so grateful the committee has properly recognized what Coach Clark brings to not just Carolina Golf but college golf in general."
The Tar Heels have earned 10 All-America and eight All-ACC honors, won nine individual titles, including an ACC championship, and established nine of the 11-best single-season and eight of the 10-lowest career stroke averages in UNC history during Clark's first five seasons.
Carolina, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt are the only teams to finish in the top 20 in each of the four NCAA Championships held during Clark's tenure in Chapel Hill.
Clark came to Chapel Hill in 2017 after 14 seasons as a Division I head coach – from 2003-08 at Georgia State and 2008-17 at UNCW, where his teams won a combined five conference championships.
DiBitetto won the Jan Strickland Award in 2016 during his six-year stint as an assistant coach with the Tar Heels.
Jan Strickland Award Winners
2022 – Matt Clark, North Carolina
2021 - Bill Allcorn, Oklahoma
2020 - Jean-Paul Hebert, Texas
2019 - Armen Kirakossian, Arizona State
2018 - Corey Maggard, Auburn
2017 - Ryan Blagg, Baylor
2016 - Andrew DiBitetto, North Carolina
2015 - John Handrigan, Florida
2014 - Chris Hill, Houston
2013 - Ryan Murphy, Texas
2012 - Jim Anderson, Texas A&M
2011 - Christian Newton, Georgia Tech
2010 - Michael Burcin, South Carolina
2009 - Brian Sharp, Virginia Tech
2008 - Walter Chun, California
2007 - Andy Bischel, UNLV
2006 - John Knauer, Arizona
2005 - Greg Robertson, Purdue
2004 - Bowen Sargent, Tennessee
2003 - Mike McGraw, Oklahoma State
Tar Heels in the Community pres. by NC Electric Co-ops - Share Your Holiday 2025 - December 18, 2025
Friday, December 19
WBB: Post-UNCW Press Conference - Dec. 17, 2025
Thursday, December 18
UNC Women's Basketball: Brooks, Toomey Blow Heels Past UNCW, 84-34
Thursday, December 18
Blue Heaven: 2025 UNC Field Hockey, Episode 5
Wednesday, December 17