LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Little Rock men's golf coach
Austin Eoff wasn't surprised his Trojans were paired in the same NCAA Region with No. 1 ranked Auburn – the defending national champions. No, that wasn't a surprise playing the Tigers on their home course even. The unexpected news was realizing his alma mater Purdue was included in the Auburn Region.
As the Benton, Ark., native fielded questions from the local media at the Regional watch party, it was easy to see by the big smile that he was excited to match up against his alma mater.
The connection with the Boilermakers runs deep. Eoff was a four-year standout with the program and then was hired as an assistant. He recruited and coached three current Purdue starters.
"I think if it was last year or two years ago, the year I left, it would be difficult, but we played with them at Notre Dame in the final round [last October]," he said. "It's fun. I appreciated being there and playing there. It's different now. It would have been difficult earlier. I know some of those players and their parents. Now, I am just real excited to play against them."
Eoff counts Purdue assistant coach Cole Bradley, a former All-American, as a good friend. He coached Bradley, who graduated from the school in 2022 and played professionally for two years before returning to West Lafayette, Ind. Head coach Andrew Sapp is in his first season at the helm after taking over for Eoff's former coach and boss, Rob Bradley, who left for the same job at South Carolina.
Eoff enjoyed a reunion of sorts at the Notre Dame tournament in October when the two teams met there. They will be matched up in the first round Monday at Auburn as No. 7 seed Purdue will play with No. 8 seed Little Rock and No. 9 seed TCU.
"It will be fun because I am a friendly guy and like to talk," he said. "I have a really close relationship with [Cole Bradley], so it will be an enjoyable time. It may take some of the edge off some of our guys because we played with them in the fall. It may make us more comfortable."
Eoff, a 30-year-old in his second year at Little Rock, is one of the rising stars in the college coaching profession, and his journey may not been the same if he hadn't played well in a junior tournament in Florida.
Eoff was one of the better junior golfers in Arkansas and starred at the high school level. He traveled to one of the top junior tournaments in Florida and caught the eye of Rob Bradley.
His final decision came down to the Purdue and Oregon. Eoff said the Oregon coaching staff was honest and said the final spot on their roster came down to him and another player.
That made it an easy decision for Eoff to pledge to the Boilermakers, even though when he went on his official visit there was five inches of snow on the ground.
"When I told people where I was going, they thought I was crazy," he said. "But it was a great decision."
One of the appeals for Eoff was he'd play immediately. He did and contributed instantly playing on competitive teams as the Boilermakers qualified for the NCAA Nationals in three of his four years and the year they didn't just narrowly missed.
Eoff was one of three players in school history to earn four All-Big 10 selections and finished his career. as the all-time leader in stroke average (72.82) and was fourth in Top-10 finishes (19). He played the most events in school history (54), and set school records for rounds in the 60s (24), rounds of even-par or better (65), rounds of 75 or better (125 of 148 career rounds) and most birdies (441). He also set a school record for most consecutive Top-10 finishes with eight from the 2014-15 through the 2015-16 seasons.
After a season as an assistant at Rutgers, Eoff returned to Purdue where the Boilermakers continued the winning ways he enjoyed as a player.
After four seasons as a Purdue assistant, he was the head coach at Central Arkansas for one season before taking over the Trojans in the fall of 2023. In his second season, he's guided a group with just two seniors to the program's first NCAA Regional appearance since 2021.
The roster includes five international players, including four from England. There are only two Americans on the active roster and one Arkansan,
Rhett South. South, who starred at Farmington High School, was the co-medalist at the recent Ohio Valley Conference Tournament stroke-play portion. Italian senior
Matteo Cristoni clinched the title with a birdie putt in match play. Cristoni earned OVC Player of the Year honors. All of the Trojans starters earned All-OVC recognition.
Freddie Turnell was named OVC Freshman of the Year and Eoff Coach of the Year.
"As a whole, it has been one of the more fun groups I have coached," Eoff said. "Playing good golf helps, but even outside of that it has been enjoyable. Sometimes I toe the line of player/coach, and we have fun. We are just young kids out there playing."
Eoff said he's encouraged with how his team is playing heading into Monday after having a few days to rest and practice at home.
"We're feeling good," Eoff said. "It's just a normal round of golf, but Alex Rowland shot the course record at Country Club of Little Rock Tuesday. He shot nine-under. This is a team but also individuals, so you are trying to get each guy in a spot that's the best for them. Everybody has different games and plays the game a different way. We don't all play it the same way. It's really getting all of the guys comfortable and ready to go. They are, obviously, very excited to get going and play. But it isn't the end of the line, and we are taking that into account and trying to move on to Nationals."
Not only has Rowland been hot, but he's provided a valuable scouting report on the Auburn University Golf Club – the Tigers home course and the site of the regional.
"He played it before and said it is similar to the Founders Course at Chenal Country Club that we play a lot," Eoff said. "He said it is important to make birdies on the par 5s. We have to improve on that."
Collecting birdies and keeping a level head will be key to advancing to the NCAA Nationals, Eoff said.
"I think we need to continue to work on our attitudes," Eoff said. "We are getting there, and it seems to improve every week. We also need to play the Par 5s well. We struggle with that, at times, as a team. From a golfing standpoint to advance, we have to do well on those holes."
The Trojans were ranked No. 38 in the fall, the program's highest ranking, and currently are No. 48. Eoff knows his team is talented enough to advance.
"You have cycles, and when you are as good as we are this year, you have to capitalize on that," Eoff said. "[Little Rock] has only made it to Nationals one time – in 2021. Since COVID, the program has been on a really good run. It is continuing that and furthering that - making Nationals would help us to build. We have a really good team and could qualify for Nationals and do really good there. The next step is going to Nationals and taking the next step there."
There hasn't been much time for reflection, but the Pudue matchup brings back some great memories and feelings of gratitude.
"I am appreciative for everything [Purdue] has done," Eoff said. "[Bradley] hired me back. That has allowed me to get where I am now. I wouldn't have been hired at UCA without coaching at Purdue where we had really good teams, and I wouldn't be [at Little Rock] because I wouldn't have taken this job if I hadn't been at UCA because it was so late when I came here. It was September. If I was at Purdue, I wouldn't have left that late. It's funny how things work out. I am appreciative for the school, what they have done and how it has made me – who I am and the coach I am."
