COLUMBUS, Ga. | Columbus State University Director of Athletics Justin Hay has announced the hiring of Jackson Wedgeworth as the Cougars' new men's golf head coach. Wedgeworth joins Columbus State after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and brings a professional playing background and championship experience that includes three NJCAA Division II national titles; one as a player and two as an assistant coach.
"We are thrilled to welcome Jackson Wedgeworth and his family to Columbus State," said Hay. "Jackson is the right leader for one of the premier men's golf programs in Division II. He has a deep respect for the tradition and championship standard that has been established here, while bringing a vision that will continue to build on that foundation. Beyond his success as a coach and competitor, Jackson is committed to developing young men who will excel not only on the golf course, but in the classroom, in our community, and long after they leave Columbus State. We are excited for him to lead the next chapter of our storied program."
Most recently, Wedgeworth served as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) during the 2025-26 season, helping guide former Division II standout Erik Olin to an individual berth in the 2026 NCAA Men's Golf Athens Regional.
Before joining UAB, Wedgeworth spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College from 2022 to 2025. During his tenure, he helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back NJCAA Division II National Championships in 2024 and 2025.
Wedgeworth's championship history at Mississippi Gulf Coast began as a student-athlete. He competed for the Bulldogs from 2016 to 2018 and helped lead the program to the 2018 NJCAA Division II National Championship. Wedgeworth tied for fourth individually at the national championship and earned First Team NJCAA All-America honors.
After his two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast, Wedgeworth continued his collegiate career at the University of North Alabama, where he competed for three seasons at the NCAA Division I level. He earned Second Team All-ASUN honors in 2021, was named ASUN Golfer of the Week three times, and received Golf Coaches Association of America All-America Scholar recognition twice. Wedgeworth captured the 2020 Tiger Invitational by Jason Dufner, hosted by Auburn University. He fired back-to-back rounds of 68 before closing with a 71 to claim the individual title with a 9-under-par total of 207.
"I'm incredibly excited to join the Columbus State University athletic staff and serve as the next men's golf head coach," said Wedgeworth. "From the very beginning, it was clear that this is a place with a strong vision, outstanding people, and a commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the golf course. I look forward to continuing the legacy of this great program and pursuing a national championship with Columbus State Men's Golf. I want to thank Director of Athletics Justin Hay for putting his faith and belief in me to lead the program going forward. My family and I are excited to move to Columbus and become part of the Cougar family."
Following his collegiate career, Wedgeworth competed professionally on the All Pro Tour and participated in numerous mini-tour events and Monday qualifiers. He also competed in the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament in 2022 and PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry in 2023. Wedgeworth advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying in 2023 after shooting a 69 in Marksville, Louisiana, to earn one of six available spots from a 111-player field.
A native of Laurel, Mississippi, Wedgeworth earned an Associate of Science from Mississippi Gulf Coast before receiving a Bachelor of Business in Professional Management and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Alabama.
Wedgeworth succeeds Lee McCoy, who departed the program in June after three seasons.
