Coach of the Year: Kevin Rhoads, Paving the Rhoad to Victory

The Harvard athletic department is home to more than 50 coaches’ offices, but only a select few do double duty. Since 2012, Kevin Rhoads has served as coach of both the men’s and women’s golf teams. Prior to that, he had served as women’s coach for eight years.

In his tenure, Rhoads has led the women to seven Ivy League titles, all of which have come in the last nine years. This dominance made the Crimson the first program in conference history to earn at least four consecutive women’s golf championships.

This year, for the first time in Harvard history, both the men’s and women’s golf squads took the Ivy League championship home to Cambridge. It was the first trip to regionals for the men since 1975.

“Coach Rhoads has been an integral part of the success of this program the last few years, this year especially,” men’s captain Rohan Ramnath said. “He’s been a fantastic coach and mentor. We couldn’t have had our successes without him, and it’s a testament to his resolve and expertise.”

Prior to coming to Harvard, Rhoads played golf and majored in history at UCLA, graduating in 1995. He currently serves as the Teaching Professional at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. in addition to his coaching positions.

Golf is unique in that its season is split between a fall and spring portion, with no tournaments being played in the region during the winter months. For Rhoads, the added workload is well worth it due to his love of golf and teaching.

“From a personnel standpoint, I’m really lucky because I just love my job,” Rhoads said. “To be around so many good players on a daily basis and try to help them all improve is just really engaging for me. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Rhoads is very optimistic for the future of Harvard golf and sees the program as still being on the upswing despite all of the success the Crimson has captured in recent years.

“A lot of our work goes in in the preparation phase leading up to the weekend’s tournament,” Rhoads said. “We have a very strong work ethic, never feel like we’re up against history, and I’m really proud of all we’ve been able to accomplish.”

In his coaching, Rhoads attempts to tailor his game plan to each player’s individual situation and style of play.

“Coach Rhoads has an approach to the game that is fairly different than anything I had experienced before coming here,” sophomore Greg Royston said. “I completely buy into his way of thinking and it is without a doubt a fundamental part of the teams’ successes.”

Rhoads has done well to prepare both of his teams for competitive tournaments against top-tier programs despite being restricted by brutal New England winters.

“All in all, we’re spending 25 percent less time on the course than most programs due to different restrictions,” Rhoads said. “In any sport, that is a lot of reps to give up. It’s important for our players to know that it’s not entirely an apples to apples comparison.”

Players on both of Rhoads’s teams always try to go into competition not only in top physical shape, but also with high confidence and mental willpower.

“He emphasizes the importance of process over results,” women’s captain Christine Lin said. “He makes sure we are our best helpers by getting us in positive frames of mind. Team members are super fortunate to have such a great coach and mentor who constantly fosters collaborative spirit and believes in each and every one of us as players and people.”

In addition to their weekly tournaments across the country, Harvard golfers are given ample opportunity to pursue their unique individual interests and do well in the classroom.

Harvard is a school that places restrictions on the amount of class days students can miss in each term, creating a balancing act for coaches to try and minimize absences while maximizing the quality of competition players have to opportunity to engage in.

“At Harvard, academics do come first; we arrange all practices around class, which is different than almost any other Division I school,” Rhoads said. “It’s a big logistical effort to organize our scheduling, but I think it’s well worth it for the players and the benefits far outweigh the costs.”

In striving for improvement, Crimson players have looked toward preparation and doing the little things extremely well to take their game to the next level.

“Coach Rhoads has a very unique style of coaching that allows us to effortlessly submit ourselves to the present and focus on elements that are helpful for us to adapt to the varying conditions of each day,” Lin said. “His philosophy allows us to differentiate what really matters and what doesn’t, and this allows us to precisely pinpoint areas of our games that need improvement and implement tangible ways to reach our goals.”

Staff writer Jed J. Rothstein can be reached at jrothstein@college.harvard.edu.