Coach Bud Tate is in his third year as the head men’s and women’s golf coach at NGU. Prior to that Coach Tate spent 10 years as the men’s and women’s golf coach at Ohio Valley University, a NCAA DII school in Parkersburg, WV. Last year Coach Tate led the NGU women’s team to their first ever Conference Carolina’s Championship, and in the process was named the Conference Carolina’s Coach of the Year. The 2023-24 women’s program had 2 overall tournament wins and 5 additional top 5 finishes.
The men’s program had 4 top 5 finishes during their 2023-24 season. While at OVU he led the Lady Scots to 222 victories and 8 tournament championships, which included an ECAC Championship in 2015. He also guided the men's golf program to 231 victories and 9 tournament championships in his tenure. Coach Tate is the winningest coach in both OVU women’s and men’s golf programs history.
Coach Tate, is an associate member of the PGA and has over 25 years of teaching experience in the golf industry. Before arriving at OVU, Tate was an Assistant Pro at South Hills Golf Club in Parkersburg for two years under head PGA golf pro-Ted Daugherty. Prior to that, Tate owned Bud's Golf Shop at the Woodridge Plantation Golf Club in Mineral Wells, WV for six years where he was also the director of golf operations under PGA professional Steve Koreski.
Coach Tate is a graduate of Marietta College and has a BA in Business. He finished his second degree at Ohio Valley U in the School of Education with a 4.0 GPA and graduated Summa Cum Laude with Alpha Chi National Honors. Coach Tate also has a master’s degree from OVU in the field of Education. Tate played golf for four years at Marietta College and served as captain of the team during his junior and senior seasons. After completing college, he moved to Florida where he spent 5 years under the direct tutelage of renowned golf instructor and former PGA champion Bob Toski. Tate played in over 50 events on the South Florida Mini-Tour where he enhanced his golfing skills in a professional setting with 6 tournament wins. Tate also played in over a dozen PGA Tour event qualifiers that led to three alternate spots on PGA Tour events including Doral, the Honda Classic and the Greater Western Advil Open.
Coach Tate currently holds several course records; Woodridge (WV) 62, South Hills (WV) 61, Worthington (WV) 59, GC of WV 59, and the old Classic Golf Course which has been torn down due to the building of route 50 through South Parkersburg, WV where he also had a 59. He has played in several WVGA, OGA, USGA and Tri-State Section PGA Tour events s the West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania areas.
Coach Tate and his wife Mandy reside in Greer, SC with their two beagles; Lucy and Ollie. They have one son, Hunter, who is currently serving in his 6th year in the United States Air Force; currently stationed in Alaska. Hunter is married to his wife of 5 years, Ellie Zide Tate. Coach and Miss Tate are looking forward to seeing some grandchildren in their future.
