2023-2024 begins Coach Patton’s twelfth year of service at Truett McConnell. Patton started as the assistant golf coach in 2011 and became the head golf coach in 2014. Patton is currently the Director of Golf. He serves both the men’s and women’s teams in this capacity but is primarily the head women’s coach after hiring one of his former players to coach the men’s team.
Patton brings an extensive history in the golf business, which includes being a life member of 30 years in the PGA of America. Patton has managed high end country clubs that hosted a Champions Tour event each year where he had the opportunity to spend time with players such as Arnold Palmer, Chi Chi Rodriguez, and Lee Trevino. Patton also had several celebrities involved in the club he played golf with regularly which included the likes of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Al Del Greco. Patton has served as the Director of Golf at multiple golf courses. Patton has also served as the Head Golf Professional, General Manager, Teaching Professional, and Swing Coach to numerous players of all skill levels throughout the years.
Patton comes from a long line of golf coaches in his family. His Grandfather, the late Conrad Rehling, was the Golf Coach at the University of Alabama from 1972-1988 and was the golf coach at the University of Florida prior to that. Rehling coached multiple PGA Tour players, was voted annually as one of the top 100 golf instructors in America by Golf Digest, was active in the FCA working with physically challenged students and is one of the founding fathers of golf in the Special Olympics. Coach Patton’s Aunt, Mary Rehling Holmes, played golf at the University of Alabama, and went on to become the Head Coach of the women’s golf team at LSU. Coach Patton and Mary both learned the majority of their teaching skills from Conrad, as he was an incredible instructor of the game, and had a style of being able to work with a variety of different swing and body types and would tailor a swing to fit each individual player.
Patton also has an extensive background in the business world. In addition to managing multiple golf courses that had budgets of more than $5 million per year, he also owned his own S Corporation called Steve Patton and Associates. He was an independent sales representative traveling to 8 states throughout the southeast selling multiple lines of outdoor furniture and won annual sales awards for his sales volume with most of the companies he served. He was also the National Sales Manager for an outdoor furniture company and had over 15 sales representatives who reported to him. Patton also owned an outdoor furniture store in the North Georgia Mountains for several years. Coach Patton was also a member of the National Association of Realtors and had his broker’s license for several years and was a member of the million-dollar club while serving in this capacity. Coach Patton most recently served as the National Sales Manager for a roofing manufacturer and roofing contractor in the Savannah, GA area. Lastly, Patton has also served at Truett McConnell University and Point University in other roles such as the Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, the Director of Corporate Relations, and the Assistant Athletic Director for External Affairs, and currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Recruiting.
During Coach Patton’s time at TMU as the Golf Coach his teams have improved every year. Coach Patton has coached a two-time AAC Player of the Year in Deven Broadaway, All-American Matt Smith who also qualified and played in the United States Amateur at Pebble Beach, and All-American Dawson Day. His men’s teams have qualified and played in the National Championship for the last 2 years he coached them and were ranked #14 in the nation when COVID cancelled the 2020 National Championship. He has coached numerous men who have won tournaments individually and made the All-Conference team, and who have been ranked inside the Golfstat top 150 players in the nation. Patton enjoyed building this program into a national contender and is enjoying watching this success continue under one of his former players.
On the women’s side, Coach Patton led the women to their first National Championship berth in 2021 and their first ranking inside the top 20 in program history. During this season, Coach Patton had 4 ladies ranked inside the top 100 at various times throughout the 2020-2021 campaign. Teagan Lovingood and Grace Lansdell also garnered 2nd-team All-Conference during this year, and Kiley Blackburn made the cut at the National Championship as an individual.
The ladies make it to the National Championship again in 2021-2022 for a historic season. Patton coached MinJi Kang, who won the individual National Championship, National Player of the Year, National Freshman of the Year, AAC Player of the Year, and won all 8 tournaments she played in. Madi Panter also made the 1st team all-conference this year and Audrey Grace Holder was on the 2nd team. The team itself won the AAC Conference Championship for the first time in school history and finished ranked #7 in the nation as a team. Numerous team and individual records were shattered during this historic season. The ladies finished the season with 2 players ranked inside the NAIA top 100 with MinJi Kang being #1 and Madison Panter being inside the top 50. MinJi is currently playing on the Epson Tour, which is the feeder tour for the LPGA. MinJi is currently working toward finishing in the top 10 on the money list, which would qualify her for a year on the LPGA tour.
The ladies made it 3 berths in a row to the National Championship during the 2022-2023 season. Mary Grace Davidson made the 1st team all-conference, and Madison Panter was on the 2nd team. The ladies finished the year ranked #16 in the nation. The lady bears saw 4 girls finish inside the NAIA top 150 rankings individually in Sylken November, Madison Panter, Mary Grace Davidson, and Jala Stamey.
Patton has been married for 33 years to his wife Paige, currently resides in Cleveland, Georgia, and has 3 daughters; Lindsay, Stephanie, and Emory.
Patton served on the White County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and served locally with the Rotary Club. Patton has also served as a Deacon in his church at McConnell Memorial Baptist Church. Coach Patton’s father, the late Rudy Patton, was a Southern Baptist Pastor for 41 years, and finished his career at McConnell Memorial Baptist Church in Hiawassee, GA in 2008. His mother attended Georgia Baptist School of Nursing and served as a Registered Nurse for most of her career.
Patton played baseball in college as a left-handed pitcher and first baseman. He graduated from High Point University with a Bachelor of Arts in human relations in 1990 and received his PGA membership in 1993 after several years of training and schooling to obtain that certification. Coach Patton is currently pursuing his master’s degree at Truett McConnell University and will plan to be a professor in the business department upon completion of that degree.
