The Women’s Golf Coach, Taylor Mottern and His Winning Mentality

An exciting start for Sewanee Women’s Golf as they began their official spring season at the Music City Shootout on March 2nd and 3rd. The Tigers started the tournament off strong with a six stroke lead, then followed it up with another six stroke to gain a twelve stroke lead and a win. However, that wasn’t the only trophy they would be taking home. Junior Sabrina Nesbitt and senior Merrick Semans both placed first in the tournament! This win for the Tigers is their first under new head coach Taylor Mottern. Taylor graduated from Sewanee in 2018 and was a member of the men's golf program during his time on the mountain. The Sewanee Athletic was able to get an interview with Coach Mottern to learn more about his coaching, goals for the program and more. 

As our interview began, it was clear that Coach Mottern loves what he does and is always excited to come to work. His enthusiasm for the program was immediate as he quickly jumped in to answer my questions. I began by asking him a simple question; How does the team embody the essence of what it means to be a Sewanee Tiger? 

Coach Mottern’s response was, “The essence of being a Sewanee Tiger is being balanced in life, and that’s something we do well as a program. We strive to be great academics and athletes, all while cultivating the close personal relationships and lifelong friends Sewanee has to offer.” Although speaking specifically about the women’s golf team, Taylor’s response was one, I believe all athletic programs at Sewanee strive to foster. As our conversation continued, a common theme of friendship and connections was a topic Coach Mottern highlighted. Sewanee is such a special place because of those lifelong connections students make with their teammates. For Taylor, this is a theme he would like to continue to encourage this attitude for the women’s program. Being a student himself, it was clear that he was speaking from experience having cherished those bonds personally.

 With that theme in mind, we continued to talk about the program, specifically hopes and goals for the future. Coach Mottern said, “My hope for the future of the program is that we are consistent contenders at the national level…” To ensure the team reaches this goal, one change Coach Mottern has implemented is an emphasis on fitness. The team is in the gym twice a week and out on the course practicing three to four times a week. It was clear that he seemed confident the team was in a good position to make that goal a reality. 

On the other side of program improvements, Taylor made a point to highlight his plans for recruiting. When explaining his thoughts on the importance of recruitment he said that he would be, “... focusing on player development, and securing the resources we need to thrive.” As the years progress, it will be exciting to see these goals come to fruition as Coach Mottern is determined to make large leaps in the team's skill set. As I wrapped up my questions regarding the program's future, Coach Mottern said that, “In four years, I see us hoisting an SAA championship [trophy], one of many to come for this program. I see us building on the groundwork being laid by the current members of the team- a strong competitive mindset and a willingness to work to be the best.” A winners mindset is clear for this team and achievable with Coach Mottern at the helm. 

In the coming weeks, the team will be preparing for the final stretch of their season. That stretch includes a tournament April 15-16th at the Emory Invitational in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Following that, the team will be competing in their SAA Championship at Greystone Golf Club in Dickenson, Tennessee. Good luck to these ladies as they battle it out on the golf course in hopes of making Coach Motterns goal, raising an SAA Championship trophy above their heads, a reality.