Golf Coaching Staff

Head Coach Jack Jensen

  • Head Golf Coach Jack Jensen - Podcast

The most decorated coach in Guilford College’s history, Jack Jensen has coached four of the school’s five national championship teams. Three of his school-record 32 golf squads won national titles (1989, 2002, and 2005). He also won 386 games in 29 seasons as the Quakers’ head men’s basketball coach and guided the 1972-73 team to the NAIA national title, Guilford’s first in any sport. Enshrined in the NAIA, North Carolina and Guilford College Sports Halls of Fame, Jensen was the second person to coach two different teams to NAIA national titles.


The Golf Coaches Association of America installed Jensen into its Hall of Fame in January 2008 for a career that includes 26 national tournament appearances. His 2005 and 2002 units that won the NCAA Division III title and the 1989 team won the NAIA crown. Jensen earned Dave Williams National Coach of the Year recognition after all three championship seasons and led an all-star team in the 2003 Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championships.


In addition to two national titles, Guilford has four second-place efforts at national golf tournaments under Jensen’s guidance, including a second-place finish at the 2001 Division III Championships where Wisconsin-Eau Claire edged the Quakers by one stroke. For his efforts, Jensen received the first of his two Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Division III District 3 Coach of the Year Awards. He also won the prize in 2005. The Quakers placed second at the 1985, 1986 and 1987 NAIA National Championships and have 17 top-10 national tournament finishes under Jensen.


In addition Guilford’s team success, Jensen has helped many individual to national distinction. Joseph Poplin '07 earned PING Second Team All-America honors at the 2007 NCAA Championships to become Guilford’s 14th two-time golf All-American. Under Jensen’s direction, 25 Guilford students have received 40 performance and 11 academic All-America honors. Guilford’s Lee Porter '89, a two-time All-American and 1988 World University Games gold medalist, spent six years on the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour. Bill Brooks '83 and Rob Odom '87 were the NAIA Tournament medalists in 1983 and 1986, respectively, and Colin Clark '07 edged teammate Dave Patterson '05 for first place in the 2005 NCAA Division III Tournament. Odom and Mike Beaver '88 represented the United States in the 1986 World University Games in Italy, where Odom won the gold medal. Three-time All-American Chris Haarlow '91 qualified for the 1994 U.S. Open.


After assuming golf coaching duties in 1976, Jensen built Guilford into an NAIA golf power. From 1985-1990, Guilford finished no lower than sixth at the NAIA tourney. The Quakers captured seven NAIA District 26/Carolinas Athletic Conference titles, which earned the Bloomfield, N.J., native seven District 26 Coach of the Year awards.

Guilford’s success continued in 1992 when it moved from the NAIA to the NCAA Division III ranks. The Quakers have reached the Division III National Championship in 15 of the team’s 17 years of NCAA membership. On the conference level, the Quakers have a league-record 10 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) titles, including a conference-best five straight from 2000-04. Jensen claimed his league-record eighth ODAC Coach of the Year Award in 2007.


Jensen lives in Greensboro with his wife of 37 years, Marsha. The couple has two adult children and one grandson.