In his first 18 months as the head coach of the Purple Aces men's and women's golf teams, John Andrews made history. He coached the women to their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference team championship in 2021 before leading the team to its second-best MVC finish in 2022.
The 2021 MVC Women's Golf Coach of the Year (which was split with former UE head coach Jim Hamilton) directed the ladies to an unforgettable triumph. After leading the way for the majority of the conference tournament, the teams faced a significant snowstorm on the final day. With the snowfall at its heaviest, Evansville and Northern Iowa dueled in a playoff hole to decide the championship. UE won in dominating fashion behind individual champion Sophia Rohleder and advanced to play in the Columbus, Ohio Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
Success continued for Andrews and both of his squads in 2023. As a team, the Aces tied for second place at the MVC Championship while freshman Kate Petrova won a 2-hole playoff to clinch the individual crown. Petrova was named the league's Newcomer of the Year while earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. UE's men also enjoyed an excellent showing in the conference championship, coming home in 7th place, just one spot behind a tie for 5th.
Andrews was named the head golf coach at the University of Evansville on November 2, 2020. Andrews joins the UE program after serving in a similar capacity at IUPUI from 1998 through 2017. In his time with the Jaguars, Andrews directed the team to seven NCAA Regional appearances. A 3-time conference coach of the year honoree, Andrews oversaw three conference championships at IUPUI.
He brings a long history of directing his student-athletes to careers at the professional level. Andrews has directed a slate of current professional players who include: Michael Davan, Jose Pablo Segurola, Santiago Ruiz, Cole Adams and Aneta Abrahamova. IUPUI players who have completed their professional careers feature: Adam Darrow, Kristi O’Brien Moster and Rob van de Vin while Rylan Porter and Sarah Poitras are current PGA members.
After joining the Jaguar program as head coach in 1998, Andrews found success shortly after, leading the men’s team to the Mid-Continent Conference Championship in 2002 while garnering his first Coach of the Year honor. His program accomplished both feats three years later, earning another league crown while being named the top coach in the conference.
While the Mid-Continent Conference rebranded as the Summit League in 2007, Andrews found similar success in 2012, helping his team win another conference championship in a season that culminated in his third Coach of the Year honor. Andrews’ NCAA Regional appearances (with either team or individual) came in 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. In regular season action, he saw his teams combine for 34 tournament championships including a remarkable total of eight wins in the 2011-12 campaign while posting the best win/loss percentage in the nation. In the first round of the 2012 Summit League Tournament, his team shot a 20-under par for the lowest Division I round of the entire season.
Individual players earned five conference medalist titles under his watch and that success translated into even higher numbers in the classroom. Over the course of his tenure at IUPUI, Andrews had 27 golfers earn Academic All-America Scholar recognition, 127 student-athletes recognized with Academic All-Conference accolades and 308 earn a spot on the Academic Advisors List.
He has been a PGA member since 1995 and was the PGA Teaching Professional at Saddlebrook Golf Club in Indianapolis from 1996 through 1999. His playing career spanned from a junior career all the way through the professional ranks.
His professional career saw him spend time in the PGA Tour School Stage 2, South African PGA Tour and Tour del Pacifico, which is the South American Tour. He was medalist in a PGA Tour Qualifying event in South Africa while taking top honors in the PGA Tournament Series. He is also an Indianapolis Open Champion.
Andrews attended Indiana University where he was the team captain of the men’s golf squad. A 3-time US Amateur participant – Andrews earned two medalist honors while advancing to the quarterfinals in the Western Amateur. Prior to his college career, Andrews was a State High School Champion, a 3-time American Junior Golf Association All-American and the Indiana State Junior Medalist. He participated in two US Junior Amateurs.
