Chances are if you’re a promising prep golfer or talented transfer, particularly in the state of Washington, you’ve heard from new Eastern Washington University men’s golf coach Russell Grove.
Chances are if you’re in Marc Hughes’ expansive list of phone contacts, you’ve heard his requests for support in getting the Eagles’ program off the ground after a 23-year absence.
It’s been a challenging and rewarding 10 months or so for Grove, the highly successful North Idaho College men’s and women’s golf coach before the school decided last December to cut both teams, and Hughes, the former EWU golf coach who returned last September as assistant athletic director for revenue development.
EWU announced it was bringing back men’s golf in mid-October and Grove took the reins in mid-January. Grove is building a roster from scratch after a late start. He obviously has no returning players and a shallower recruiting pool since most recruits have long been committed elsewhere.
Grove has used his extensive contact list and attended Washington Junior Golf Association events and Washington and Idaho state high school tournaments in the spring to identify recruits for this season and beyond.
Grove and Hughes noted the program’s return has been embraced and generated excitement throughout Pacific Northwest golf circles.
Grove has signed five players, including transfers Zach Miller (Oregon State) and Trey LeCheminant (Spokane Colleges) and incoming in-state freshmen Cal Anderson and Charlie Gaffney as well as Kevin Wang from California. Grove called Anderson and Gaffney the top two unsigned Washington natives available.
“It’s been a little stressful,” said Grove, who hopes to add a few more players before EWU debuts Sept. 8-10 at Washington State University’s Palouse Collegiate. “The portal has been for sure, it’s pretty wild and crazy in there, trying to get the right recruits and get them interested and you’re trying to do that in a very quick manner. But it’s kind of how I’ve always done my recruiting, not really leave any stone unturned, so it’s the same philosophy here.”
Grove, 39, has worn just about every golf hat possible. He was on Coeur d’Alene High’s state-championship team before playing at the University of Idaho.
He’s been an instructor, an assistant pro at Avondale and one of the top players in the PGA’s Pacific Northwest Section with multiple player of the year awards and four major titles. He recently finished second at the Oregon Open, the section’s most recent major tournament. Grove, who played in the 2023 PGA Championship, was named Northwest Athletic Conference coach of the year seven times in 10 seasons as NIC’s coach.
“Not only in my own golf game but just trying to improve and get better as a coach,” he said of his approach. “That’s kind of the beauty of this game. If you’re able to achieve something, it’s, ‘Where do you go now?’ It’s never-ending, an endless pursuit, never stop trying to get better.
“This is a 24/7 job for sure, but if I want to be successful that’s the way it has to be and I’m fine with that. I’m super grateful for this opportunity. There’s always something to do.”
Hughes can relate.
He coached Eastern’s men and women from 1998-2002 and continued with the women until 2009. He then worked in EWU’s administration before taking a six-year break to run an insurance agency.
“Brought my handicap down dramatically,” Hughes said.
Hughes ran the idea of restarting men’s golf past every athletic director he worked with before making headway with current A.D. Tim Collins – with conditions.
“Tim is a golfer and understands its role in development and what it can be,” Hughes said. “When you go a little deeper and realize how many golf pros or people in the industry are EWU grads affiliated with the program it’s remarkable.”
Hughes was asked to raise $250,000 to help launch the program. Within a few months he’d reached $200,000, with a fundraiser coming this fall that “will hopefully get us to the next notch.”
“I said I’ll work on it and get that done,” Hughes said. “It’s not my job, but I’ll do it because I want to get it done and we can. Tim really took all the risk in doing it and talking it over with leadership.
“This was a lot of individual donor work with alumni and a lot donated that have some capacity to do so and are friends of mine that love to play golf. I really didn’t have to sell that hard at all. I’m a little bit of a salesman anyway, but we had a very narrow window to toggle it through. The way our leadership is right now, it had to come with some support, and they were great about it.”
Hughes isn’t 100% certain, but he’d heard of only one other school that added men’s golf this season.
“It’s pretty rare for a program to be coming back,” Grove said. “If anything, people are cutting programs.”
EWU men’s golf was an NAIA program in the 1960s before competing at the D-II level in the early 1980s. The program was cut from 1982-92, then returned for 10 seasons before another lengthy hiatus.
“These (donations) are pledged out on five-year agreements, the coach can use it for operational needs, travel, equipment,” said Hughes, detailing why he believes the program has staying power.
Grove anticipates practicing at several area courses, possibly Qualchan, Indian Canyon Grove and The Plains (formerly Fairways), but noted “that just about every course has been supportive of having us out.” EWU will also host a 2026 fall tournament at CdA National Reserve, an impressive setting for a college event.
The Big Sky Conference took a one-year break last season from offering men’s golf, but it’s back this fall with six programs, including EWU. Sacramento State will exit after the upcoming season, but the conference adds Utah Tech and Southern Utah in 2026-27.
Grove has high hopes for the Eagles, even though it could take time to get everything in place.
“It is my goal to come out and win right away,” he said. “I want to win the Big Sky and I want to be competitive at those events that we’re playing in, some of those top-tier events.
“I think Tiger (Woods) said it best: If you’re goal isn’t to win, why are you even teeing it up?”
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