By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
Yukon’s Miller and Millerette golf teams will have a new face at the helm for the 2018-19 season.
Jamie Tate, who was the assistant coach last season will take over the Miller program, while Ryan Rennels comes in to head up the girls program.
Tate replaces David Jewell, who stepped down after five years as the boys head coach after taking an administrative position in another school district.
Rennels comes over from Union City and takes over for Patrick Courtney, who left to enter private business.
It will be Tate’s first head coaching position. He started his coaching career last season as an assistant and has been a life-long golfer.
“I came on as an assistant last year and had a blast,” Tate said. “I had always wanted to get a foot in the coaching realm, and was very excited to get going.
“When coach Jewell decided to take on an administrative role in another district, I was quick to jump on the head coaching job,” he added. “I have a much different coaching style than what has been seen in the past, one that focuses on an individual player’s development in their own game. The collection of data, and seeing trends in scores and competencies will help us to find where we need to develop. I am a lifelong golfer, with tremendous respect for the game. My goal is to foster that same love for my golfers.”
Tate, although with not much experience, was an easy selection since the golf team members already knew him and did know his style of coaching.
“I was very excited when I was told I would be the new head coach,” Tate said. “But what really got me pumped up was seeing the boys’ reaction when I told them. They were over the moon.”
Tate will have an experienced team for his first season with four golfers returning that competed in several of the tournaments during the 2018 season.
“We saw a lot of successes this past season even though our scores might not have shown it,” Tate said. “We are in the middle of a rebuilding phase, but the potential of our group is through the roof. The upcoming team is rich in young talent with many of our varsity spots being filled with underclassmen.
“Gage Tennyson will be a sophomore and has made great strides of improvement over the summer, placing and winning tournaments in his age division of the AJPGA. He and Shannon Henthorn were the two freshmen that started on the varsity squad this year.
“Carston Cox will our lone returning senior of our group. Carston was on fire by the end of the season last year, seeing an almost 20 stroke improvement from the beginning of the season.
“Jordan Macklin is another returning upperclassmen. He will be a Junior has never failed to bring consistent good play.”
It will also be Rennels first golf coaching position. He spent the last five years as the head boys basketball coach at Union City.
“I am really excited about coming to Yukon and working with the golf program,” Rennels said. “It will be a little bit of an adjustment from coaching basketball to golf,” he said. “I won’t be able to walk up and down the sidelines of a golf tournament. But, I am up for the challenge.
“I know from talking to people that I have a great group of girls to work with,” he added. “I know we lost a couple of good players, but have some returning and have some good young players coming in and I look forward to getting started.”
The Millerettes did have two members of the team sign golf scholarships, but have three returning and also have some players that gained experienced on the junior varsity team. The JV team won two tournaments this past season.
“I am looking forward to getting to know the players better in the off-season and to get started,” he said. “ know the team has had some success over the last few years and we want to keep that going and continue to build on that. I know the girls will come in and work hard a getting better and continue to compete.”
