Columbia College Athletics

John enters his eighth year as head men’s and women’s golf coach with the Cougars in the fall of 2019. In his time with Columbia, Utley has coached 15 All-AMC award winners, four AMC Freshman of the Year and two AMC Newcomer of the Year winners. 

In 2018-19, Utley led the women’s golf team to a program-best five wins in nine tournaments. The women’s team won the Columbia College Cougar Classic in the spring and knocked off William Woods for the first time since the program was established in 2012. This was also the first time the Owls had lost to a conference team in the last 17 years.

Utley led the women's golf team to their best season to date in 2016-17 as the Cougars won three out of nine tournaments and finished second in the AMC. The season ended with the Cougars first individual AMC Champion and their first ever competitor in the NAIA Women's Golf Championships.

John Utley joined the Columbia College staff as the school's first ever head men’s and women’s golf coach in the summer of 2012. Prior to joining the Cougars, Utley was a volunteer assistant men’s golf coach at the University of Missouri beginning in 2009, where he worked directly with players during practice and competition. He is also the director of instruction at The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia. He works with golfers of all levels in private instruction, group clinics, corporate outings and multi-day camps. John states that his best learning experience in golf has come from being a PGA Tour Caddie for his brother Stan Utley in 1994.

John is a 1990 graduate of the University of Missouri. He holds a bachelor of science in Design Management and Merchandising. While attending the University, he was a four-year letterman with the men’s golf program, earning Honorable Mention All-American accolades as a senior. Following graduation, Utley competed as a professional golfer, including membership in the Nationwide Tour in 1992.

A native of West Plains, Mo., Utley was a member of the MSHSAA State Golf Championship Class 3A Team in 1986 as well as a Medalist Champion.
 

  
Updated 6-24-19