June 15, 2022
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Head coach Mark McEntire has hired former Blue Raider Payne Denman of Smithville as the next assistant coach for Middle Tennessee men’s golf.
“One of the things we were looking for was that our players wanted a good player,” McEntire said of the search for a new assistant. “And we found one. He’s got really good ties to the Grove, really good ties to Stones River, and all of our alumni. I think he’s going to do a really good job for us.”
Denman played for MT from 2012-2015 after transferring from Florida, making his mark on the program record book. His career scoring average of 74.04 was 2.21 strokes above par, the 12th -best mark in Blue Raider history. He finished with 26 rounds of par or better, tied for 15th in the career rankings.
“What a great day for the men’s golf program,” said Whit Turnbow, Payne’s coach at MTSU and the current president of the Tennessee Golf Foundation. “Payne is not only a fantastic player, but also a great human and proud alum. HIs impact on the program will be felt immediately, and I look forward to watching his coaching career blossom under Coach McEntire.”
As a Blue Raider, Denman finished first or second on the team in scoring average in each of his three seasons. He finished in the top 15 of nine tournaments, including a seventh-place finish at the 2015 Conference USA Championship. His collegiate accomplishments include 2013 Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors and leading a team bid to the 2014 NCAA Columbia Regional.
After a stint in the professional ranks, Denman currently holds amateur status as a player. His return to MT marks his first foray into coaching.