In 2021-22, Thomas Kearney begins his ninth year with St. Mary’s Golf and his sixth as the head coach of both the men’s and women’s programs.

THE KEARNEY FILE
College: UTSA (2008)   Hometown: Ballyliffin, Ireland   Experience: 9th Year (6th as Head Coach)
HONORS
Heartland Conference Coach of the Year
2016-17 (Women's)
YEAR-BY-YEAR REVIEW
Year	Team	Conf. Finish	Highlights
2016-17	Men's	1st	South Central Regional Heartland Conference Champions
2016-17	Women's	2nd	NCAA Championship West Super Regional
2017-18	Men's	3rd	NCAA Championship South Central Region Champions
2017-18	Women's	2nd	Super Region 4 Regional
2018-19	Men's	2nd	South Central Regional
2018-19	Women's	3rd	Super Region 4 Regional
2019-20	Men's		Season Cut Short Due to Pandemic
2019-20	Women's		Season Cut Short Due to Pandemic
2019-20	Men's	T7th	South Central Regional
2019-20	Women's	3rd	West Regional Champions 3rd Match Play at NCAA
Total
5 Yrs.	Men's		Heartland Conf. Champion South Central Regional Champion
			4 Regional Appearances
5 Yrs.	Women's		4 Regional Appearances
			West Regional Champions

After having the 2020 season shortened due to the pandemic, Kearney and the women's golf team peaked at the right time in 2021, winning their first-ever NCAA West Regional in an upset over top-ranked DBU. They went on to finish sixth at the NCAA Championships and advance to the semifinals of the medal match play. Sofia Ruescas won the West Regional individual title and was the top finisher at the Lone Star Conference Championships in seventh place.

A trio of women earned All-American honors as senior Monica Dibildox was named to the Second Team and both Estelle Beck and Ruescas were honorable mention selections. The women's team also posted the highest GPA of any women's team in the Lone Star Conference, earning the Academic Team Champion Award. The women finished the year ranked sixth. Ryan Dixon led a young men's team, earning All-Region honors by PING. The men finished in a tie for 10th at the NCAA South/Central Regional.

During the 2020 season, Kearney saw Emilio Gonzalez earn his third-straight Conference Golfer of the Year Award, this time in the Lone Star Conference. Gonzalez and Dixon both earned All-Conference honors, South Central All-Region honors, and All-American accolades. Gonzalez earned a first team selection while Dixon picked up an honorable mention. On the women's side, Ruescas earned an All-Conference nod, while Jordyn Wray was named a WGCA All-American Scholar. 
 
In his five seasons at the helm, he has led both teams to tremendous success as they have advanced to seven NCAA regional tournaments and three NCAA Championships – one for the men (2018) and two for the women (2017, 2021). His teams have won a total of 20 titles and he's seen 25 individual titlists in those five years.

In 2018-19 Kearney saw Gonzalez earn his second-straight Heartland Conference Golfer of the Year award and he, Jake Stevenson and Dixon all earned First Team All-Conference honors as the Rattlers earned the two seed at the NCAA South Central/West Regional after posting three team wins throughout the season. Gonzalez was also a semi-finalist for the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award and earned Ping Third-Team All-America honors. Both Ruescas and Maria Regina Gonzalez earned All-West Regional and Heartland All-Conference First-Team honors for the women as they finished seventh at the NCAA Super Regional.

On May 21, 2018 in his second year as head coach, Kearney took the program to an all-time high as the Rattlers earned a combined ranking of #7 by Golfstat, the best in the school’s history. The women were ranked 13^th in the NCAA and the men were tabbed 16^th for the combined ranking of seventh.

That season Maria Regina Gonzalez and Kelly Contreras earned All-American honors after the women placed fifth at the NCAA Super Region 4, while the men won the South Central/West Region for the first time ever and then tied for 11^th place at the NCAA Championship. Emilio Gonzalez earned Ping First-Team All-America honors.

In his first season leading the clubs, the men won the Heartland Conference Championship for the first time since 2009 and Emilio Gonzalez was named the Freshman of the Year after finishing second in a playoff at the conference tournament. The women advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2003, placing fifth and Maria Regina Gonzalez won the individual title at the NCAA West Super Regional, while the team placed third overall. Kearney earned Heartland Conference Women’s Golf Coach of the Year for his efforts.

Kearney was an assistant coach with the Rattlers for three years before earning the head coaching duties and he continues to build upon the success they started. In those three seasons, the Rattlers won seven team titles and four individualist medals.
 
In 2015-16, Kearney helped lead the women to winning the Heartland Conference for the first time in 12 years and qualifying for the NCAA South Central Regional. In addition, he helped take the men to within one stroke of winning the Heartland Conference themselves. Contreras took home her first All-America honor following the season.

In 2014-15, Kearney helped the men's program earn to its second consecutive regional appearance while also helping women's golfer Allison Howarth qualify for the regional tournament as an individual. 

During his first season with the Rattlers, Kearney helped coach the Men’s Golf team to its first regional appearance since the 2011 season that saw their top golfer Matt Van Winkle earn the program’s first All-Region selection since 2011. On the women’s side, Kearney assisted in the development of the program’s first-ever Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year in Howarth.
 
Originally from Ballyliffin, Ireland, Kearney took his golf game to the collegiate level after he was recruited by the Rattlers' former Director of Athletics Elizabeth Dalton when she was Assistant Athletics Director at UTSA.

He was a four-year letterman for the Roadrunners, earning an All-Conference selection throughout his career and claiming one individual title. Kearney was also Team Captain and played for the Irish National Team during his time with the Blue & Orange. As a senior, he recorded a stroke average of 75.59 with his lowest round at 67 strokes.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2008, Kearney turned pro and competed in several pro events, winning five. It was at these pro tournaments that Kearney met former Rattlers' head golf coach Chris Massoletti, who also turned pro in 2008. In 2010, Kearney reached the pinnacle, playing as a pro in the PGA Tour.

He took to teaching in 2011 at the Caruso Golf Center where he found his niche for inspiring young golfers.

Kearney is married to Brooke and the couple has one child.