Dustin Coleman enters this 12th season as the Gannon head coach after guiding the men’s golf team through a highly successful 2022-23 season.
The Erie, Pa., native led the Golden Knights to eight tournament titles, two runner-up finishes, one third-place finish, and a fourth-place finish in 12 tournaments. Coleman's team opened the 2022-23 season by winning its first five tournaments – the California Vulcan Invitational, Mercyhurst Fall Invitational, Bud Elwell Classic, Allegheny College's Guy and Jeanne Kuhn Memorial and Clarion's Hal Hansen Invitational. Senior standout Abe Holmes won individual titles in four of those tournaments, including playoff wins over teammates Ryan Ferry and Michael Wareham. Shaunak Rama earned the other title.
The Golden Knights then capped the fall portion of the season by placing second in the PSAC Championships with Holmes finishing as the runner-up.
Gannon added three titles in the spring, winning the Mercyhurst Spring Invitational, Gannon Spring Invitational, and the highly competitive 25-team NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Region Preview. Holmes, Ferry and freshman Giovanni Delorenzi won individual titles in those tourneys, respectively.
Gannon then placed fourth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional while narrowly missing a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships.
Coleman's Golden Knights were highly decorated during the postseason, and Abe Holmes led the way. Holmes was named PSAC Athlete of the Year for the second time. (He previously won in 2021.) He also earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and Academic All-America Second Team honors. Holmes capped his career by being named Gannon Senior Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
Holmes, Ferry, Delorenzi were selected to the PING All-Atlantic Region Team, while All-PSAC honors went to Holmes (First Team), Ferry (First Team), Delorenzi (Second Team), and Rama (Second Team).
Coleman's team also excelled in the classroom, earning the highest cumulative grade-point average among all PSAC men’s golf teams with a 3.665 mark. Gannon has received the PSAC Top Team GPA seven times under Coleman. The Golden Knights also took home the honor in 2012-13, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2021-22.
During Coleman's tenure, the Golden Knights have qualified as a team for the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional nine times, and on two others occasions Gannon golfers advanced to the regionals as individuals.
After the 2021-22 season, Coleman was voted Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the second straight season. He guided the Golden Knights to a second-place finish in the PSAC Tournament, a third-place showing in the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional and a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships.
The Golden Knights won three team titles in 2021-22 – Mercyhurst Invitational, Guy & Jeanne Kuhn Memorial and Gannon Spring Invitational – and recorded nine top-three finishes in 13 tournaments.
In the PSAC championships, Holmes placed second and Connor Bennink finished third. Bennink was the PSAC Men's Golf Athlete of the Year, placed sixth in the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional, and won the Elite 90 award at the NCAA tourney. Holmes and Bennink both made the NCAA Division II Ping All-Region teams.
The Golden Knights also earned the highest cumulative grade-point average among all PSAC men’s golf teams with a 3.727 mark.
Coleman’s selection as the PSAC Men’s Golf Coach of the Year completed a family sweep of the honors as his father, Ron Coleman, was named PSAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year for Mercyhurst. (Ron Coleman was then a volunteer assistant for Gannon in 2022-23.)
In 2020-21, Dustin Coleman was named PSAC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career after guiding Gannon to its first NCAA regional championship. The Golden Knights then advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and posted a 10th-place finish.
Coleman capped the 2020-21 season with Atlantic Region Coach of the Year honors from the Golf Coaches Association of America, becoming the first coach in program history to receive the award.
Individually, Coleman developed the second PSAC Athlete of the Year in program history in 2020-21 when Abe Holmes garnered the award. He became the first athlete to win the award under Coleman and first since Drew Deimel won the award in 2010-11.
Five Golden Knights have been selected to the All-PSAC teams under Coleman: Cam Zbrzeznj (2013), Wall (2014), Matt Barto (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), Bennink (2019, 2021, 2022), Holmes (2021, 2022), and Ethan Bennett (2021). Barto was named Eastern College Athletic Conference Division II Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in September of 2016 and selected to the Ping All-Atlantic Region First Team as a senior. Bennink and Jacob Mertz also picked up Ping All-Region honors in 2019-20.
Gannon had one of the most historic seasons in program history in 2020-21. The Golden Knights played two tournaments in the fall and posted a second-place finish at the Malone-Glenmoor Invitational and fifth place at the Doc Spragg Fall Invitational. Gannon opened the spring portion of the season with a win at the Browngolf Intercollegiate before posting three top-five finishes, including a fourth place at the PSAC Championships. In the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional at Lake View Country Club, Gannon made up a two-stroke deficit on the final day to claim the first NCAA regional championship in program history. The Golden Knights capped the memorable season with their first-ever appearance as a team in the NCAA Championships with a 10th-place finish.
Gannon finished in the top five in each tournament it appeared in during the 2019-20 season, including wins at the Glade Springs Intercollegiate, Penn State Behrend Invitational and Howard “Bud” Elwell Invitational. The Golden Knights completed their season tied for third place at the PSAC. Gannon went on to earn a spot in the NCAA regionals, but play was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2018-19, Gannon excelled throughout the season before qualifying for the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional and posting a fourth-place finish. The Golden Knights peaked with a team title while hosting the Howard “Bud” Elwell Invitational. The squad placed third at the Gannon Spring Invitational, fourth at the Cecil C. Spadafora Invitational and fourth at the Mercyhurst Spring Invitational. Barto was named to the All-PSAC First Team. Michael Marsico became the sixth Golden Knight in program history to qualify for the NCAA championships as an individual and posted a 99th-place finish.
In 2016-17, Coleman guided two individuals – Barto and Wall – to the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional, giving the Golden Knights representation at the NCAA postseason for the fifth consecutive year at the time. Wall finished 27th out of 107 golfers. Barto was named to the All-PSAC Second Team at the end of the season.
In 2014-15, Coleman guided Gannon to an eighth place at the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional. Barto, the PSAC champion and all-conference first-team selection, became the fourth Gannon golfer in program history to advance to the NCAA championships and tied for 70th place.
Gannon recorded nine top-six finishes and three top-three finishes during 11 regular-season events in 2014-15, including team championships at the Hal Hansen Invitational and Mercyhurst Spring Invitational. Barto was named to the All-PSAC Second Team.
Gannon finished Coleman’s second season in 2013-14 with an 11th-place showing at the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional. Wall was selected to the All-PSAC Second Team. The Golden Knights recorded team-best finishes of fourth place at the Edwin B. Cottrell Invitational and California (Pa.) Vulcan Invitational.
Coleman became head coach of the program prior to the 2013 spring schedule, and guided Gannon to its first NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional appearance since 1989. The Golden Knights finished among the top five in four of five regular-season events during the spring schedule.
Among the highlights of Coleman’s first season was Zbrzeznj being named PSAC Freshman of the Year and selected to the All-PSAC Second Team.
Coleman, a McDowell (Pa.) High School graduate, received a bachelor’s degree in Crime, Law and Justice from Penn State University in 2008. He also currently works as a School Security Officer for the Millcreek Township School District. He and his wife, Taylor, reside in Erie with their son Mack and daughter Ronni. Taylor played softball at Edinboro University.
– Updated July 7, 2023
Coleman Year-By-Year Results
| Year |
Team |
PSAC Championship |
NCAA Regional |
NCAA Championship |
| 2012-13 |
Gannon |
-- |
10th/20 |
|
| 2013-14 |
Gannon |
7th/8 |
11th/20 |
|
| 2014-15 |
Gannon |
6th/8 |
8th/20 |
Barto | T-70th (Ind) |
| 2015-16 |
Gannon |
5th/8 |
17th/20 |
|
| 2016-17 |
Gannon |
7th/8 |
Wall | 27th, Barto | T-99th (Ind) |
|
| 2017-18 |
Gannon |
5th/8 |
18th/20 |
|
| 2018-19 |
Gannon |
4th/8 |
4th/20 |
Marsico | 99th (Ind) |
| 2019-20 |
Gannon |
T-3rd/9 |
*Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
|
| 2020-21 |
Gannon |
4th/9 |
1st/16 |
10th/16 |
| 2021-22 |
Gannon |
2nd/10 |
3rd/20 |
19th/20 |
| 2022-23 |
Gannon |
2nd/10 |
4th/20 |
|
Note: Coleman began his career in the spring of 2013.
