Veteran high school coach Matt Garrett has been named women’s golf coach at Wayland Baptist University.
Garrett is an accomplished coach with 32 years of experience coaching golf, basketball, cross country, tennis and track & field, most recently at Quanah High School.
“I have long desired to coach women’s college golf when I felt the time was right to retire from my high school coaching career. The timing of the opportunity at Wayland was a godsend and I could not be more excited to come aboard at such an esteemed institution as WBU,” Garrett said.

This announcement was postponed until after state golf as they didn’t want to distract the girls team in any way. Garrett said, “Today I am retiring from coaching in the UIL and moving on to being the Head Women’s Golf Coach at Wayland Baptist University. God has blessed me with more success than I deserve (7 state championships) and many friends over the past 32 years. As a father and coach I got to coach my daughter to a 37-0 3A Basketball State Championship and to a 3A Golf State Championship in the same year (2019). My wife has been beside me all the way and has supported me through everything and everywhere.I am so grateful for all of the kindness many have shown both Courtney and I at Quanah HS. We both wish you the best of luck in the future!”
WBU Senior Vice President of Operations and Student Life Dr. Claude Lusk, said, “Coach Garrett will be a great addition to our staff. His track record of past success is impressive and his enthusiasm for the future is contagious,” said
“Matt Garrett possesses all of the qualities that one would look for in a top tier head women’s golf coach and leader of student-athletes at the intercollegiate level,” said William Weidner, WBU’s director of intercollegiate athletics. “His teams are well coached, highly motivated to succeed and are always well-prepared to compete at their optimum best. His well-rounded coaching expertise, practice organization and match preparation have consistently placed his team among the best at the interscholastic level on the field of play. His extensive and established relationships within the coaching fraternity at the interscholastic level will assist his efforts regarding the recruitment of outstanding prospective student-athletes who can excel in both the academic and athletic arenas for the Wayland Baptist University women’s golf program.”
Garrett will take over a program that has been led for the past year by interim head coach Jim Giacomazzi, who also serves as Wayland’s volleyball coach.
“Coach Giacomazzi has done a fantastic job of moving the women’s golf program in a positive direction and we are grateful for his time and effort,” Lusk said.
Garrett said his hopes for the program are to “first recruit student-athletes who exhibit outstanding character, are strong students, and who desire to compete at the next level. In so doing, I hope WBU women’s golf will soon become increasingly more competitive not only in the Sooner Athletic Conference, but also on the national stage.”
Garrett’s stellar 32-year high school coaching career  – including time at nearby Nazareth High School  – features a number of state championships in a variety of sports, highlighted by four state championships, five final fours, 12 regional tournaments and 35 national records in girls’ basketball. Every school at which he’s coached since 1999, except two, made the state final four or the regional tournament.
Garrett has also coached two state championships in golf and one in cross country plus many UIL state medals in tennis and track.
Last year, Garrett was recognized as one of the Top 100 Girls Basketball Coaches in the 100-year history of the UIL.
“God has truly blessed me with much success,” Garrett said.
Of moving to the college coaching ranks, he said, “I have found over 32 years of being in the coaching profession that best fits happen when visions are aligned and goals are consistent from the administration down to every person in the program. I admire the mission of Wayland and desire for the women’s golf team to embody all that WBU stands for.
“I would like to thank Dr. Hall (WBU President Dr. Bobby Hall), Dr. Lusk and Bill Weidner for this amazing opportunity. I look forward to getting to work and connecting with the WBU community.”
Garrett and his wife Courtney, a public school teacher and coach, have two children:  Austin, who graduated from Texas Tech in December, and Mason, who attends Midwestern State University on a golf scholarship.
Concluded Weidner, “On behalf of Wayland Baptist University and our Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, we welcome Matt Garrett and his wife Courtney as the newest members of the Pioneer family. It’s a great time to be a Pioneer!”