In a move that underscores Texas A&M University–Texarkana’s growing ambitions in collegiate athletics, Ryan Huntze has been officially appointed as the inaugural head coach for both the men’s and women’s golf programs, set to debut in the Fall 2025 semester. The announcement, made at a press conference on July 10, 2025, marks a significant milestone for an institution eager to expand its athletic offerings within the NAIA’s Red River Athletic Conference Yahoo+10Texarkana Today+10Facebook+10.
The introduction took place at the Patterson Student Center, where university leadership, including President Dr. Ross Alexander and Athletic Director Ryan Wall, welcomed a slate of newly minted head coaches. Among them, Huntze’s arrival stands out not only for launching a new program but also for reinforcing a narrative of local investment and community pride. A Texarkana native, Huntze brings a track record of success and deep familiarity with the area’s competitive golf scene tamut.edu+1Texarkana Today+1.
Huntze’s journey back to Texarkana represents a full-circle moment. From his formative years in the region to establishing himself as a respected coach, he returns home to lead a program built from the ground up. For fans, athletes, and administrators, his appointment inspires confidence that the Eagles make their mark quickly. As the longest-serving coach in his field locally, he’s expected to lay both cultural and competitive foundations.
Born and raised in Texarkana, Huntze immersed himself in golf from a young age, learning the contours of the region’s courses and absorbing the competitive ethos of the Lone Star State. His alma mater, Texas High School, became his proving ground not just as a player, but almost immediately as a mentor and leader. In 2019, Huntze took over as head coach of both the boys’ and girls’ golf teams at his alma mater. For six seasons, he guided student-athletes to regional titles and significantly raised the profile of the school’s golf program—achievements that did not go unnoticed by collegiate athletic circles .
The announcement video posted by TAMUT Athletics across its social media channels greeted fans with palpable excitement: “Please help us officially welcome Ryan Huntze as the new head coach of Texas A&M‑Texarkana Men’s and Women’s Golf!” tamuteagles.com+10Facebook+10X (formerly Twitter)+10. It captured the enthusiasm of a program in its infancy, yet already rich with possibility, symbolizing the symbiotic relationship between coach and community.
Athletic Director Ryan Wall emphasized not only Huntze’s winning pedigree but also his ability to foster a student-first atmosphere—critical for a university driving toward holistic excellence. Wall’s remarks highlighted that Huntze’s success wasn’t confined to the scoreboard but extended into academic stewardship and character development.
His resume tells a story of consistency and upward momentum. Between 2019 and 2025, Huntze helmed the golf program at Texas High, consistently delivering top finishes in district and regional meets. He established himself as a dynamic coach, adept at player development, strategy, and team cohesion. During his tenure, athletes not only improved their personal lowest scores but also absorbed fundamentals such as course management and mental resilience. Under his leadership, Texas High’s golf teams became synonymous with discipline and tenacity—attributes that align seamlessly with the values of Texas A&M‑Texarkana tamut.edu+1Texarkana Today+1.
Now facing a fresh challenge, Huntze’s task is twofold: to construct a competitive roster and to create a cohesive program identity. The Eagles will compete in the Red River Athletic Conference, a competitive environment featuring established golf programs from Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas. For a newly formed program, establishing credibility early will hinge on strategic recruiting, intensive training regimens, and impeccable logistical organization.
Knowing the terrain—literally and figuratively—benefits Huntze. His familiarity with Texarkana’s courses, local junior golf networks, and youth camps places him in a unique position to tap into regional talent pools. His well-established relationships with high school and junior coaches across East Texas and Western Arkansas could be instrumental in recruiting athletes eager to stay local while competing at the collegiate level.
Huntze’s vision extends beyond simply winning tournaments. In local interviews during the July 10 press conference, he spoke candidly about crafting a program rooted in community, academic success, and personal growth. He expressed a desire to mentor student-athletes not just as golfers, but as leaders—emphasizing character traits like responsibility, time management, and sportsmanship. As Huntze said, the vision is “to build a team that competes with grit, stays together through thick and thin, and ultimately carries the pride of Texarkana wherever they play.” (Paraphrased from conference remarks) .
Institutional support has been swift and impactful. The Athletic Department has allocated resources for equipment, uniforms, travel budgets, and facility access at the city’s premier courses. Notably, there’s ongoing collaboration with local public and private courses to offer tournament venues, practice tee times, and community clinics. Rumors of state-of-the-art indoor simulators and a dedicated team facility are already circulating among students—and such infrastructure, paired with Huntze’s leadership, could fast-track the program’s development.
As a dual coach for both men’s and women’s squads, Huntze embraces a unified philosophy. He envisions shared training sessions, cross-team mentorship, and communal events that reinforce team unity. Rather than dividing resources, he sees synergy: men’s and women’s rosters practicing together to foster healthy competition, shared accountability, and mutual support. This holistic approach could set Texas A&M‑Texarkana apart from peer institutions where gender-specific separation has been the norm.
Building that culture won’t be without challenges. Dual program coordination demands logistical finesse—coordinating practice times, tournament schedules, scholarship distribution, and administrative oversight. Yet Huntze welcomes this complexity. He refers to himself as a “program architect,” building systems that endure as athletes graduate and new recruits arrive. To that end, he’s already assembled a staff—including assistant coaches, a swing analyst, and academic liaisons—to ensure coverage from technical training to classroom accountability.
The bigger picture aligns with Texas A&M‑Texarkana’s broader athletic expansion. The same press conference introduced head coaches for men’s and women’s bowling, cross-country and track, tennis, basketball, baseball, and several others Yahoo+6tamut.edu+6Instagram+6tamut.edu+9Texarkana Today+9tamut.edu+9. Huntze is part of an athletic renaissance that has catapulted the Eagles from their earlier cross-country roots to a full-fledged multi-sport institution. Expansion across sports signifies the university’s aspirations to elevate its campus spirit, regional engagement, and competitive stature.
Golf, in particular, is poised to become a marquee program. The sport’s mix of individual excellence and team competition makes it a strategic choice for growing athletics while optimizing resource allocation. With Huntze leading, excitement is building among supporters. Social media buzz across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X reflects local pride and optimism .
For prospective student-athletes, the news resonates on multiple levels. Competing for a coach from their own community offers a rare sense of continuity and emotional connection. They’ll train under someone who understands both the demands of collegiate golf and the values of Texarkana. Many recruits and their families have already begun reaching out, keen to be part of something that blends hometown loyalty with academic ambition.
From Huntze’s perspective, the opportunity represents both a personal triumph and a professional milestone. After building his reputation in high school athletics, college coaching is the logical next step. Yet rather than chasing higher-profile roles elsewhere, Huntze’s decision to stay local underscores his commitment to the region he knows best. His arrival reinforces a narrative that success doesn’t always mean leaving home—sometimes, it means elevating home.
On the administrative side, Texas A&M‑Texarkana stands to gain from a boost in regional visibility and potential fundraising avenues. Golf tournaments draw alumni, sponsors, and community partners; even a mid‐level program can deliver strategic benefits if managed well. Huntze’s local ties are an asset in this regard—his relationships with commercial partners, civic groups, and youth sports leagues can build bridges between the university and broader Texarkana stakeholders.
Looking ahead to the Fall 2025 launch, the calendar is already marked with expectation. Invitational meets, dual-match challenges, and flagship tournaments in the Red River Athletic Conference loom large. For the players, initial conditioning programs and team scrimmages have begun quietly, even before the official roster is announced. Huntze’s immediate goals include establishing baseline metrics—team scoring averages, stroke differential, and player development benchmarks—while building camaraderie and establishing norms.
In the community, buzz is growing. Local golf shops report interest from parents and young players wanting to join the Eagles clinics. Courses are fielding inquiries about hosting collegiate‑level tournaments. Alumni networks are drafting support plans. Even media coverage is intensifying: regional outlets like TXK Today and KKYR are already running feature stories and follow‑up interviews .
What remains to be seen is how Huntze’s inaugural squads perform. Will they contend in conference play? Can they establish a winning culture in year one? True to local tradition, expectations will be measured but hopeful. The program’s growth trajectory will depend on recruiting success, player retention, competitive resilience and—crucially—the ability to unite around Huntze’s vision.
If he succeeds, Ryan Huntze will have delivered more than wins; he’ll have done what many aspiring collegiate coaches dream of—blending hometown roots with institutional ascendancy. He’ll have built a program that inspires pride, fosters scholarship, and sets Texarkana on the collegiate-golf map.
At the heart of it all lies his unwavering belief: a coach from Texarkana, coaching Texarkana. The message resonates deeply in a region where roots run deep, where community defines identity, and where hometown heroes carry the torch forward. As the Texas A&M‑Texarkana Eagles prepare to step onto fairways this fall, they’ll do so under the guidance of a leader who knows the terrain—on the course and off it—better than anyone else. In Ryan Huntze, they’ve found more than a coach; they’ve found a catalyst for regional pride and athletic possibility.
The stage is set. Anticipation is high. And under the summer sun, Texarkana is ready to watch Coach Huntze shape the future—one stroke, one tournament, one young athlete at a time.
