For golf coach Judd Dye, things in his professional future lined up better than a 30-foot putt for birdie.
The Fort Mill boys golf coach for the past seven years, Dye is heading to Catawba Ridge to be the boy’s golf coach next academic year.
“It wasn’t something I was looking to do until the past week and a half,” he said. “The opportunity presented itself at Catawba Ridge. There is a lot of change going on at Fort Mill High. There is a lot of shifting.”
One reason that Dye said he wanted to go to the Copperheads was because of principal Darren Wilson. Wilson and Dye worked together over at Fort Mill before the opening of Catawba Ridge.
“I worked with him for a long time at Fort Mill and I have always wanted to work for him,” Dye said.
The current Catawba Ridge golf coach Mickey Joslin is also transitioning out of coaching. Dye and Joslin talked about the job after he decided to leave. A Social Studies teacher, Dye will continue to teach in the Social Studies department once he moves to Catawba Ridge.
“It all came together in about a three day stretch to be honest with you,” he said. “I didn’t want to say anything until after the state tournament was over. This kind of happened between the Upper State and the state tournament.”
One thing that made Dye hesitant to leave Fort Mill was the actual golf program.
“I feel like it is a good spot,” he said. “I have worked real hard the past seven years to get it to where it is now. We are in pretty good shape. That part was tricky. I was kind of wavering back and forth. But the teaching position is my main job so that is what it came down to. Everything lined up there. It is bittersweet because the golf program, I really enjoyed it and the school (Fort Mill) I really love.”
Dye will be coaching just boys golf at Catawba Ridge. He also coached girls golf at Fort Mill over the past three seasons.
“I am looking for the new challenge there,” he said. “It’s a totally new classification. It’s still a new program and essentially a new school. I am trying to embrace the challenge an create a long-term culture there. I am excited about it and looking forward to a new challenge.”
Dye will also be heading back to Fort Mill Golf Club which was the home for Fort Mill golf teams for a long time before they moved over to the Tega Cay Golf Club. Fort Mill Golf Club is the home course to Catawba Ridge.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
