SAN ANTONIO — UTSA head men's golf coach John Knaeur on Friday announced that he has hired Joey Ashley as assistant coach.
"I am very excited to add Coach Ashley to our staff here at UTSA," said Knauer, who is entering his 14th season at the helm after leading UTSA to the NCAA postseason in 2021. "Joey was a long-time and very well-respected high school coach in the state of Texas. Since we have all eight players on our roster from the state, he will already have a relationship with them through high school and junior golf. He will be instrumental in recruiting the future Roadrunners that will continue to build on the foundation of success that has been put in place here."
Ashley comes to the Roadrunners from Texas State, where he was an assistant coach for four seasons. During his time on the staff, he assisted in coaching two all-conference players, the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Newcomer and Freshman of the Year and six All-America scholars.
"I am extremely excited to join Coach Knauer and the Roadrunner program," Ashley said. "Competing against them, I've seen how this team continues to develop, and being part of that growth is something that attracted me to the job. Together, I hope we can build on their historic 2021 season."
While in San Marcos, he helped Texas State break numerous school records including five of the top eight player career scoring averages, four of the top six team season scoring marks, 10 of the top 13 player season scoring averages, three of the top four low team rounds and six of the top 10 low tournament totals in program history.
Texas State set a single-season record for the lowest scoring average in 2018-19. The Bobcats also registered the lowest team scores for a single round at the 2019 Big Texan Tournament and two lowest 54-hole totals at the 2019 Big Texan and Lake Charles Invitational. The Bobcats also have turned in the top four individual averages in a single season and two best career averages since his arrival.
Prior to his tenure at Texas State, Ashley was a high school coach for 13 years in the state of Texas. He served as the head coach for four seasons at both San Antonio MacArthur High School and Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville and. He also was an assistant coach for five years at San Antonio Reagan High School.
As a high school coach, Ashley led his teams to 12 district championships and 12 UIL State Tournament appearances in both the Class 5A and 6A ranks. In 2010, he was named the San Antonio Express-News Golf Coach of the Year after leading MacArthur to the District 26-5A crown and a runner-up finish in the Region IV-5A Tournament.
Ashley also produced two individual runner-up finishes at the UIL State Championships and coached 30 players who went on to compete at the collegiate level. He also staffed and directed the Texas Junior Golf Tour for 11 years in the Austin/San Antonio area.
Ashley earned a master's degree in education administration and a bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies at Concordia University in Austin.
A native of Port Aransas, Texas, he was a two-sport athlete for the Tornados, competing for four years on the golf team and three seasons with the basketball squad.
Ashley is married to U.S. Olympian and softball star Cat Osterman. The couple lives in New Braunfels with his daughter, Bracken.
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