By Mason Nesbitt, Sports Information Director

The Master’s University has hired Jacob Hicks, a former NCAA Division 1 athlete with college ministry experience, to lead its men’s golf program.

Master’s announced Wednesday that Jacob Hicks, an all-conference golfer while at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, will succeed Jason Semelsberger as the program’s head coach.

Hicks is the third coach in the program’s 18-year history.

Semelsberger, who took the reins in 2007 and led the team to three straight conference titles in recent years, said this week he feels the team is in more-than-capable hands.

“He’s an answer to prayer,” said Semelsberger, who stepped down from coaching to focus on his family, commit more time to his church and to take on more responsibility as a development officer at TMU.

“Serving as the coach and leading the program for the last decade, I really had a burden on my heart to make sure we could pass on the program and have it carried forward in an excellent way for the Lord’s glory, and Jacob really came to us, I think, directly from the Lord,” he said.

Hicks, who grew up in Mebane, North Carolina, was an all-conference pick at East Carolina as a junior and senior. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication in 2016, he briefly played professional golf, but ultimately decided against a grueling path toward the PGA Tour. He then interned for 11 months with College Golf Fellowship, a relational ministry focused on college and professional golfers.

“How that works is we go to a campus and hang out with a team, play golf with them and then typically have a Bible study,” Hicks said. “We did local discipleship and went to tournaments to see different teams and host a tournament study after the practice round.”

Hicks’ boss with College Golf Fellowship was Korky Kemp, a former pro who qualified for two PGA events and several Web.com Tour events. Kemp echoed Hicks’ readiness for this new position.

“He embodies the ingredients for a phenomenal golf coach and disciple maker,” Kemp said. “Jacob has a heart for the game of golf, but his passion for golf pales in comparison to his passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Kemp also highlighted Hicks’ pedigree: namely his growing up as the son of veteran PGA Tour caddie Mike Hicks, who was on the bag for Payne Stewart during the golfer’s 1999 U.S. Open victory.

“It gives him a unique perspective of seeing first-hand influence world-class golfers,” said Kemp, who played with Semelsberger on a mini-tour on the East Coast in the early 2000s. Kemp, a more-weathered believer at the time, took Semelsberger under his wing.

“Taught me what it means to live for Christ,” Semelsberger said.

Now, Semelsberger will return the favor, so to speak. TMU’s former coach plans to mentor its new coach over the course of the next year, his desire to be around the program still strong.

“I have sadness stepping away from something I enjoy doing so much,” Semelsberger said, “but the program will always be part of my life, and I’m excited for what God will do through Jacob’s leadership going forward.”

As far as on the course, Hicks believes his experience at East Carolina will help him guide a team that graduated two key seniors but will return a strong core of three veterans.

“I just know what it takes to improve and get better,” Hicks said. “I’ve been around great players for a long time. I’ve seen what it takes on the course, off the course, being mentally prepared going into a tournament. … Being around great players, they kind of rub off on you. You learn new things. I was never really afraid to ask, ‘Hey, what does it take?’ I love learning.”

Master’s is set to open its season on Sept. 4-5 at the U.C. Ferguson Classic in Oklahoma City, Okla. For the full schedule, click here.