Matthew Stewart has caddied for professional golfers, assisted on ESPN golf telecasts and plays the game well enough to have spent two years on the Sierra College golf team.
Now he has one more item to add to his golfing resume – coach. William Jessup University announced that Stewart has been named head coach and will lead the effort to establish a new golf program on its Rocklin campus.
Stewart, 31, brings knowledge of the game and enthusiasm to the William Jessup campus, where he will start the program in the spring of 2008. The Warriors will compete at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level and have scholarships available.
“My biggest initial challenge is recruiting,” said Stewart, who played at Sierra College in the late 1990s. “We are starting from scratch and I know there is a lot of planning and hard work ahead. But I am a competitive person and I want to build a program that down the road will bring a championship to William Jessup.”
The university relocated from San Jose in 2004 and is gradually building its athletic program. Last month it announced that former Chicago White Sox manager Jerry Manuel would be starting a baseball program in the spring of 2009.
Both Manuel and Stewart were drawn to William Jessup because it’s a Christian faith-based university. A Placer County native, Stewart likes the idea of trying to establish a winning tradition and being a mentor to young golfers as well.
“I love golf and I love working with young people,” Stewart said. “I want to build a program that has character and integrity. Golf is a great game that teaches those types of values.”
Stewart was selected among a list of coaching prospects for his knowledge of the game, his ties to the area, and his approach to life. William Jessup Athletic Director Farnum Smith feels Stewart is a good fit for the Warriors.
“Matthew has a lot of the qualities we were looking for in a coach,” Smith said. “He is a hard worker and his enthusiasm for golf and life make him a great addition to our coaching staff. He is the type of coach that will be teaching our players on and off the golf course. I’m excited about the team’s future.”
Stewart was born in Auburn, raised in Cool, and attended Golden Sierra High School, where he played golf, basketball and baseball. His coaching career includes a three-year stay at Forest Lake Christian H.S. in Auburn, where helped led the Falcons boys basketball team to a 55-9 overall record. The team had one undefeated season and the program built a 42-game winning streak en route to two league championships.
Shortly after high school, Stewart began a successful real estate career and currently leads Stewart Ventures Real Estate Team at Keller Williams Realty in Roseville.
Stewart has been active in the Placer County community. He was a member of the first “Rocklin Leadership” class, served on several Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce committees, and is the founder of “Artrageous,” a community event that raises money for Visual and Performing Arts for Rocklin Unified School District.
Stewart and his wife, Holly, currently live in Sacramento.