JUCO Golf: MCC's Covich hired at Mississippi State

Meridian Community College head golf coach Sean Covich, left, discusses a put with MCC freshman All-American Jake Stirling during last week's NJCAA Div. I National Championship in Odessa, Texas. Covich is leaving MCC after five years to become the assistant coach at Mississippi State University

By Daniel Rigdon / Sports Writer

MERIDIAN — If today were any other day Meridian Community College golf coach Sean Covich would be on the road hitting the recruiting trail to draw in the newest Eagle linksters.

However, today isn’t another day. Today is the day after he got a phone call that has fast-tracked his dream. The call – from Mississippi State — officially made him the full-time assistant golf coach for the Bulldogs. The dream – coaching at a Southeastern Conference institution — came true in that moment, as he will return to the school where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sports administration. It’s also the school he’s rooted for since age 5.

“It's a blessing and an honor,” Covich said Tuesday. “It's something that when I started coaching that I was trying to work towards. I didn't know if I would ever get the opportunity, especially at an SEC school. Hopefully I will do a good job for them.”

Covich's departure now leaves MCC searching for two new coaches. Covich’s announcement followed Jeff Walker’s abrupt departure as basketball coach a few weeks ago after only one year. Covich also served as sports information director for MCC.

Although Covich is parting ways with MCC after coaching the team for five years, he said this could not have been possible had he not become an Eagle first. Covich played golf for MCC under Lou Hart during the 1998-2000 seasons.

“First of all I just have to thank MCC because without them this wouldn't be possible and I wouldn't be at this point in my life,” Covich said. “It's a great program. Coach Hart did a great job building this program before I came in. I wouldn't be here without coach Hart or Meridian Community College.”

Since 2006, when Covich took the reigns of the program, he has led Meridian to four NJCAA National Championship tournaments, as well as a runner-up finish in 2010. Brandt Garon of Baton Rouge, La., arguably Covich’s biggest recruit, also won a national championship in 2010 and was named the top JUCO golfer in the country in 2011 after the Eagles finished seventh in the national tournament in windy West Texas last week.

“He’s the reason I came to MCC,” Garon said Tuesday after hearing the news. “It was just his kindness, genuineness and the excitement he showed for the program. He just had this look that you knew he intended to build a championship program. He poured his heart into the program and to all of the guys. It was a great decision for me to come to MCC and play for him."

Garon is one of four Eagle sophomores who signed with four-year universities; he will head back to his home state in the fall to play for the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

Covich said he’s proud of his time at MCC, especially the move two years ago from Division II to Division I.

“I feel like we've just got MCC to being a bigger part of the national golf scene,” said Covich.

Covich won't have much time to relish the moment. He starts his new job on July 1 and will have to hit the recruiting trail immediately to look for new talent for MSU.

“Yeah it's happening fast,” said Covich of the quick transition. “But I guess that's the way it is in the coaching world and in the SEC. Right now is the biggest time of the recruiting process in golf with all the tournaments going on.”

Covich steps in at the perfect time, as the Bulldogs will have a brand new practice facility completed in September where he can continue doing what he started at Meridian