Georgia State University Athletics

John Michael Cole, formerly an assistant coach at VCU following five seasons as the head coach at Fayetteville State, was named the head coach of the Georgia State men's golf program in July 2024.
 
Cole comes to Georgia State after spending the 2023-24 season at VCU, where he helped coach the Rams to the Atlantic 10 Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. VCU went on to record the lowest single-round total in school history on the final day of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional en route to an eighth-place showing, the program's best regional finish since 2002.
 
Cole went to VCU following an outstanding five-year run as head coach at Fayetteville State, highlighted by NCAA berths in two of his final three seasons.
 
In 2022-23, Cole steered the Broncos to their first CIAA Championship since 2012 and claimed the league’s Coach of the Year award for the second time. He was also named HBCU National Coach of the Year for his efforts. Fayetteville State later placed second at the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional to qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships. His top player, Caden Hodges, was an honorable mention All-American and an All-Freshman selection by the GCAA. Five of his players earned All-CIAA honors, and two were named to the Ping All-Region Team.
 
In 2021, he directed the Broncos to an NCAA Championship appearance for the first time in his tenure following a fourth-place regional finish.
 
Cole was named Fayetteville State head coach in 2018, and promptly led the Broncos to a runner-up finish at the 2019 CIAA Championship, the program’s best showing in seven years.
 
He began his coaching career as the first head coach of the men’s and women’s golf teams at Fayetteville Technical Community College in 2016. He built both programs from scratch and started competing in events in Fall 2016. Cole was awarded FTCC Coach of the Year honors in 2016 and 2017 and earned NJCAA Region X Coach of the Year accolades in 2017. He led the Trojans to a victory at the 2018 NJCAA Region X Championship and a berth in the NJCAA DII National Championship.
 
Cole was initially a standout collegiate golfer for Fayetteville State. As a freshman in 2011, he earned five collegiate victories, including the PGA Works DII Collegiate Championship, and was named CIAA Player of the Year. Cole transferred to Appalachian State, where he served as the team captain his senior year. He graduated from Appalachian State in 2014 with a bachleor's degree in recreation management and a minor in communications.
 
On the professional links following his collegiate career, Cole played on the Swingthough, G-Pro, and Coastal Players Tour. He captured a win at the 2015 Crow Creek Invitational on the Coastal Players Tour.
 
Cole attended Cape Fear High School, where he won the 2010 Cumberland County Match Play Championship.
 
The Fayetteville, N.C. native, is married to Emery Sherrill Cole.