Aug. 10, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State All-American T.J. Howe returns to his alma mater as an assistant men's golf coach, announced Nittany Lion men's golf coach Greg Nye today.
Howe, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, won 11 tournaments as a professional golfer and participated in the 2016 U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont. He was a first alternate for the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills this past June.
Playing professionally since his graduation from Penn State, Howe qualified for and played in the PGA Tour's 2015 Wells Fargo Championship. He was a member of the Web.com and Mackenzie Tour in 2016 and was a money list runner-up on the 2015 eGolf Professional Tour.
"I am grateful to Coach Nye and the administration for this wonderful opportunity at a place that is very special to me," Howe said. "For my family and me, coming home to Penn State is a dream. It is an exciting time to be part of this program coming off the heels of an NCAA Finals berth. I appreciate the great job that Coach Leon did and look forward to picking up where he left off. I can't wait to start building relationships with the guys on the team and helping them in any way that I can."
A fixture in Penn State's starting lineup, Howe was a member of the Nittany Lion squads that played in the 2008 and 2010 NCAA Championships. Winning three event titles in 2010, he earned All-America status from the Golf Coaches Association of America in his senior season. He finished his career tied for fifth on Penn State's all-time scoring list.
"We are thrilled to have T.J. come home to Penn State," said Penn State men's golf head coach Greg Nye. "In this hire it was important to keep continuity in our culture. TJ was highly successful student and athlete during his years here and he already knows our golf program and the University well. His competitive background at both the amateur and professional levels is similar to that of our former assistant (Mark Leon). Our current team should easily transition and identify with him as a mentor."
Howe, from Osceola, Pennsylvania, won the 2005 Pennsylvania high school championship. He played in the U.S. Amateur Championship twice, for the first time in 2007, the same year he won a share of the PA Public Links title. Howe returned to the U.S. Amateur in 2009 prior to his final year at Penn State.
A second-generation Penn Stater, he earned his bachelor of science degree in marketing from Penn State in 2010 and was selected as the recipient for the 2011 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.