The Gator Great has spent the last four seasons as the volunteer assistant coach.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gators head men’s golf coach J.C. Deacon announced Dudley Hart as an assistant coach on Wednesday.
“Adding Dudley to our program as the next assistant golf coach is a big win for the Florida Gators,” Deacon said. “Dudley has spent the majority of his life playing the PGA Tour against the best players in the world. His knowledge, experience, and practice habits are going to be a huge asset for our student-athletes. He has a remarkable passion for helping others and his attention to detail is unmatched.
“He is also a Gator alum and understands exactly how special our university is and what it takes to be successful here. I am very excited to watch the impact he’s going to have on our program for years to come. I would also like to thank Dudley’s wife Suzanne for her sacrifices and effort in making this dream possible.”
The Gator Great has spent the last four seasons as the volunteer assistant coach for Florida. A four-year (1987-90) member of the program, Hart was the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year (1987), a three-time First-Team All-SEC selection and a four-time All-American.
“I’m not sure I can put into words how excited I am to become the next assistant coach for the University of Florida men’s golf team.” Hart said. “I am thrilled to have an opportunity to share the knowledge and experiences I’ve gained over the last 30 years of playing professional golf with our student-athletes.”
I owe so much to UF for helping me achieve my dreams of playing professional golf. Playing for the Gators were some of the best years of my life and to be able to return as a coach for my alma mater is a dream come true.”
“I’d also like to thank J.C. for giving me a chance to help at such an elite program. I can’t wait to get to work with our program and win some championships for the Florida Gators.”
Hart is one of five Gators in program history to be a four-time All-American and was the first of eight to earn SEC Freshman of the Year Honors. In his senior season (1989-1990), Florida was just two strokes away from claiming the National Championship falling to an Arizona State team led by Phil Mickelson.
He went on to have a decorated professional career which included two PGA Tour victories at the 1996 RBC Canadian Open and the 2000 Honda Classic reaching 21st in the World Rankings – highest in his career.
The 2021-22 season gets underway at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields from September 17-19.
