By: Michelle Hantak, Mizzou Strategic Communications
Richard Poe, a former Mizzou Golf player and coach, has been an active member of the mid-Missouri golf community for nearly 50 years. Poe will be honored for his service with an induction into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame Dec. 8, 2014, in Las Vegas.
Poe was first introduced to golf as a young caddy at a course in his hometown of Rolla, Missouri. Through caddying, Poe learned more about the game and developed a desire to play himself.
"It's a great game and it's been a big part of my life since I was 12 years old," Poe said. "I still play. I'm going to Florida in January to play in some tournaments against guys my own age. I love the sport and I love the game. There's nothing really like it."
Poe competed for the Tigers from 1959-63. At that time, college golf was structured around head-to-head matches instead of tournaments that players compete in now. As a student athlete, Poe racked up many accolades and set a Mizzou record that is yet to be broken, when he tied for fifth at the 1963 NCAA Championships.
After graduating with a degree in business, Poe enrolled in law school at Mizzou. While in law school, Poe started working as the assistant golf professional at Columbia Country Club and began to cultivate his passion for teaching the game. Before completing his law degree, Poe served two years in the armed forces, including one year in Vietnam. After becoming a member of the Missouri Bar Association in 1972, Poe competed on the European Tour for a summer.
Poe enjoyed playing, but eventually returned to Columbia to begin working at the newly formed Country Club of Missouri as a PGA Professional. After spending five years as the head professional at the Country Club of Missouri, the Missouri athletic department approached Poe about taking over the program.
"I always had an interest in the University of Missouri and the golf team," Poe said. "I always felt that it could be more than it had been in the past, so that was kind of the incentive for me to coach. When I was an assistant pro in law school, I had helped out with teaching some of the kids. I had been involved with the golf program since 1959 and it was a logical step."
Poe is the longest tenured Missouri golf coach, having served from 1977-98. In his 20- year stint at Mizzou, Poe overhauled program and was a two-time Big Eight Coach of the Year, leading his team to the league title in 1984. Poe coached five PING All-America selections, 11 Cleveland Golf / Srixon All-America Scholars and PGA Tour players Stan Utley and Jason Schultz. He reached the NCAA Regionals or Finals in 15 of the last 16 years he coached. Throughout his entire coaching career, Poe continued his work at the Country Club of Missouri, eventually moving to A.L. Gustin Golf Course in 1992.
As a coach, Poe thought it was important to give high school golfers from Missouri the opportunity to represent their state university. Some of Poe's best teams were made up of Missourians. The 1984 Big Eight Championship team was comprised of two players from Columbia and one from each St. Louis, Kansas City and West Plains.
"I felt like the kids from Missouri should have the first opportunity to play here and represent their state," Poe said. "I always felt that if the best one or two players from Missouri decided to come here, we would be competitive nationally."
Poe is credited for establishing Mizzou Golf's national presence. With Poe's influence, the team was able to travel to more tournaments and face tougher competition. Early in his career, Poe was determined to make Mizzou Golf an elite, national program
"We were the first team to beat Oklahoma State in the Big Eight Championship since 1969," Poe said. "Their coach, Mike Holder, had never been beaten in the championship event. That was a turning point in establishing Missouri as a national competitive golf school. From then on, we were always respected as a team."
During his coaching career, Poe saw many changes in college golf such as increased sponsorship, the growth of junior golf, players being more fundamentally sound, changing teaching methods, and a growing focus on national and international recruiting.
Poe's coaching philosophy was rooted in player development and improvement. He recognizes that his coaching style may seem unconventional in today's collegiate environment, but is proud of what his students accomplished athletically, academically and personally.
"I felt that as long as the players did the best they could and would keep improving, trying hard, and representing themselves and the university well, then how they finished in the tournament wasn't as important," Poe said. "When I saw a kid come in here, improve, graduate and leave as a better player than before, I felt like I had been successful and he had been successful regardless of how the team finished."
Although Poe is proud of establishing Mizzou Golf nationally and putting together one of two conference championships in Mizzou Golf history, Poe is most proud of the relationships he developed with his players. He keeps in contact with many of his former players and has enjoyed seeing them graduate and begin their lives.
"I feel like whenever I see a player or a player sees me, they invariably thank me for the opportunity to play," Poe said. "I feel like I've been helpful to them over the years, not just in golf, but as citizens and professionals. That relationship with my players is what I'm most proud of."
Although Poe no longer bears the title of golf coach, he lives by the saying that, "If you're once a coach, you're always a coach." After his retirement from MU in 1998, Poe continued the renovation project he started as a coach at A.L. Gustin. Poe left Gustin in 2012 to focus more on Columbia's Perche Creek Golf Club that he opened with his son in 1999. Poe serves as the Director of Golf and helps out with a variety of tasks, including running a junior camp that he looks forward to every summer.
While leading his teams to success on the course, Poe was also an active member of the Golf Coaches Association of America, serving on its ethics committee. He voted in the NCAA Coaches Poll and spent six years on the NCAA Regional selection committee. Poe has been a PGA Class A Professional since 1972 and served on both the PGA's regional and national board of directors. Poe has remained active in both the GCAA and PGA since retiring.
The GCAA will recognize Poe at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for his accomplishments, passion and dedication toward growing golf at the collegiate level. Poe is the first Missouri coach to be awarded this prestigious honor.
"It's a nice honor and it was kind of unexpected, but certainly appreciated," Poe said. "The guys that voted me in were current members of the Hall of Fame, so I'll be joining a lot of my friends that I coached against and coached with. It means a lot to me because I look back most fondly on coaching."
Although Poe wishes he would have coached longer, he is happy the time he spent coaching was such a positive experience.
"The coaching has been the highlight of my golfing career," Poe said. "I've enjoyed playing, enjoyed working at the country club, enjoyed running Perche Creek, but the teaching and coaching is what I care about the most."
Poe and his wife Peggy live in Columbia. In addition to his son Jake, Poe has two daughters, Christy and Megan. When he's not teaching, Poe enjoys reading and traveling to spend time with his six grandkids.
Poe uses the term retired loosely, as he doesn't think it's possible to ever retire from teaching. Golf has been his passion, hobby and job for the past 50 years and he doesn't foresee that changing anytime soon.
"Although I'm officially retired, it seems like every day there is something to do," Poe said. "I like staying involved in golf and hope to continue as long as I can."
Mid-Missouri and the University of Missouri have been lucky to have such a passionate coach and advocate for the game and congratulate Poe on his induction into the GCAA Hall of Fame.