Limbaugh named head men’s golf coach at Vanderbilt

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Former Huntingdon golfer and golf coach Scott Limbaugh was named the head men's golf coach at Vanderbilt University on Thursday.

Limbaugh, a 2003 Huntingdon graduate, spent the past five seasons as the assistant men's golf coach at the University of Alabama.

"One of his goals has been to coach college golf at the highest level," said Matt Mahanic, Huntingdon's Director of Golf. "This is great for him. For all of us associated with the Huntingdon golf program, we couldn't be more proud of him. He has accomplished a lot in such a short time, and it's because of the hard work and determination he's shown at Huntingdon and Alabama and that he will show at Vanderbilt."

Mahanic was recruited to Huntingdon by Limbaugh, played two seasons for him (2004 and 2005) and served as his assistant for two seasons (2006 and 2007). Mahanic became Huntingdon's head coach when Limbaugh was hired by Alabama in the summer of 2007.

Huntingdon athletic director Buzz Phillips said Vanderbilt couldn't have hired a more qualified and hard working individual.

"I watched him when he was a student-athlete here, when he was an assistant coach here and then when he was a head coach," Phillips said. "As a player, he always gave it everything he had. As a coach, he's always been able to bring out the best in his players to help them accomplish as much as they possibly could.

"What he was able to do the past few seasons as an assistant at Alabama was great. Now, I know he is excited to have the opportunity to be a head coach in the SEC."

A Childersburg native, Limbaugh led Central Alabama Community College to two NCAA Junior College National Championships before transferring to Huntingdon. He was a captain on the Hawks' 2002 team that reached the national tournament.

Limbaugh got his start in coaching as a Huntingdon assistant in 2004 and was the Hawks' head coach from 2005-2007. He guided all three teams to the NCAA Division III Championships and coached three All-Americans (Jacob Collinsworth, Alex Balog and Mahanic). The Hawks finished fourth in 2007, ninth in 2005 and 15th in 2006. Limbaugh was named the 2005-06 Eaton/Golf Pride South Region NCAA Division III Coach of the Year.

During his five seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Alabama, the Tide reached the NCAA Championships four times and finished as the national runner-up this spring. Alabama won the SEC championship twice and won two NCAA East Regional titles. The Tide produced 10 All-Americans during that span. Considered one of the nation's top recruiters, Limbaugh helped Alabama produce three top-10 recruiting classes.