In this week’s edition of our Coaches in College series, Jonathan Michel profiles head men’s golf coach Jeff Roche.
If Bradley men’s golf coach Jeff Roche could go back to college, he would have loved to know that it’s all about the process.
His college golf career humbly began at Carl Sandburg College in his hometown of Galesburg, Illinois. The junior college recruiting scene has changed quite a bit between 1980 and now. At the time, most JUCO golf coaches took whoever could put together a solid round here or there.
However, to then-Sandburg golf coach Rick Hess, Roche was not just a team member he found on the street. As the head professional at Bunker Links in Galesburg, Hess oversaw Roche when he worked at the course in high school. Hess gave his former employee a spot on the Chargers roster and was not disappointed.
While the team didn’t perform exceptionally well, Roche took a quantum leap in his two years at Carl Sandburg, qualifying for Junior College Nationals in addition to all-conference and all-region honors. According to Roche, his success directly correlated to being under the tutelage of Hess, who helped him fine-tune his game.
“He taught me mental game, strategy and things that could help me technique-wise,” Roche said.
Hess’s valuable coaching could only last Roche for two years. After dominating the junior college golf world and earning his associate degree in psychology, he planned to take his talent down I-74. Unfortunately, Roche hit a pothole.
When Roche decided to transfer to Illinois State, one class from Carl Sandburg didn’t transfer, rendering him academically ineligible to play for the Redbirds.
However, Bradley’s golf coach credits that bump in the road for where he is today. Roche’s passion could not keep him away from the game of golf, as he helped legendary Illinois State golf coach Harland Kilborn with stats. After serving as Kilborn’s apprentice, Roche began to consider coaching.
Roche said he dreamed of being a golf coach since his high school days, but he didn’t plan on pursuing it as a full-time job due to salary concerns. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Illinois State with a minor in coaching, without playing on the Redbirds golf team.
Although Roche’s college years are an uncommon story for a PGA professional and Division-I head coach, Roche has rolled with the punches.
“Anybody that plays any sport is going to learn a lot of things about life and having to deal with setbacks, but understanding that you can look at things as setbacks or look at them as opportunities,” Roche said. “There’s no such thing as a failure unless you just let it sit there as a failure. That’s the biggest thing I tell my players.”
While his playing career did not go as expected, it is impossible to say that Roche failed.
After his college days were over, he forged ahead and became the head professional at WeaverRidge Golf Club in Peoria and Metamora Fields Golf Club. He subsequently took the reins as the Braves men’s golf team head coach, and led them to their first NCAA postseason berth in 62 years in 2018 and added three conference titles while assisting the women’s golf team.
When asked about his favorite college memory, Roche provided wisdom well beyond his college years that applies to both golf and life.
“That adrenaline rush that you feel when competing, especially when you accomplish something, it has more to do with the work that preceded it,” Roche said. “I miss that feeling of competing, but I don’t think I would have stayed in this business if I wouldn’t have loved that feeling of competing and learning.”
In a sport where only one among more than one hundred competitors is considered the winner, there is no shame in not winning. According to Roche, you either win or you learn.
“Success leaves clues along the way,” Roche said. “You can only control what you can control and how you respond to the incidents in your life. You can’t control what happens but you can control how you respond to it and it can propel you higher than what you ever thought could happen.”
