Better Than I Found It

Merry Christmas, and welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It. As as the Baylor Golf Team and the McGraw family take time to celebrate the holidays, Coach McGraw uses the moment to highlight the importance of recruiting and coaching players who show great character. In this episodes Coach McGraw shares stories that demonstrate how his prioritization of recruiting players with high character, not just talent, led to the success of both the team and the individual. These stories range from his early coaching days at Edmond High School to his most recent All-American, and noted 2024 points leader on the Korn-Ferry Tour, Johnny Keefer. Character has always been a focal point of McGraw's coaching philosophy, and I hope you can understand why after listening to this podcast. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It! Today we welcome Brennan Webb, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, to the podcast. Now in his eighth year in Knoxville, he has led the Vols to new heights, reaching the NCAA tournament in each of the last two years. His resume also includes a stint as the assistant to legendary Georgia Tech coach Bruce Heppler, and podcast guest just a few weeks ago. I hope you enjoy listening to the wisdom Coach Webb has to share. Thank you for joining the podcast Coach Webb!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It! This past weekend Coach McGraw was honored to be the Master of Ceremonies for the induction of the 14th class of the Edmond Junior Golf Hall of Fame, and spends the episode reflectingupon the Hall and the history of Edmond golf. Coach McGraw details his start in coaching at Edmond, the dynasty he would establish there, and his role in starting the Hall of Fame in 1995, as well as the details of the class of 2025. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today, we welcome Labron Harris Jr, former Oklahoma St. All-American and 1962 US Amateur Champion, to the podcast. While few young golfer know much about Labron, he is a legend of Oklahoma Golf and a childhood hero for Coach McGraw. He had a very successful amateur and professional career, eventually transitioning to an advisory role in the management of the PGA tour including responsibility over the Kemper Open and the 1983 Ryder Cup. Labron's rich history in the game earned him an induction into this years class of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame, and I hope you listening to the storied career of this legend. Thank you for joining the podcast Labron!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It! Today we welcome David Tenneson, a college golf historian out of Alabama, to the podcast. A software engineer by day, David has spent the last five years cataloguing the history of college golf and just recently created an online database to access this history. David and Coach McGraw speak on how his love for this project came about, the college golf artifacts in his collection, and the mysteries behind two long-lost trophies. I hope you enjoy this journey through the 100+ year story of college golf. Also, to hear more stories like the ones shared today, check out David's database: 5count4.substack.com. Thank you for joining the podcast David! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today on Better Than I Found It we welcome back long-time Georgia Tech head coach, Bruce Heppler. Bruce recently announced that he would be retiring after the 2025-2026 season, ending his 31 year tenure at Georgia Tech. In those 31 years he made 22 trips to the NCAA Championship, had 13 top-8 finishes, and was runner-up to the national champion 4 times. He has won 14 ACC-Championships, and is 10-time ACC Coach of the Year and a National Dave Williams Coach of the Year. He is in both the GCA Hall of Fame and the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. He coaches and recruits the right was and should be a model for any young coach getting into the industry as to how to conduct yourself and succeed while doing so. The collegiate golf world will miss him, but he has one last ride in 2025-2026 with his Yellow Jackets and I hope you all tune in to his season as I will. Thank you for joining the podcast Bruce! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It.Last week Coach McGraw interviewed Willie Wood, one of five people entering the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame this year, along with “Duffy” Martin, Labron Harris Jr, Andrew Magee, and Coach McGraw himself. Recording this episode right before the Hall of Fame Banquet, Coach McGraw takes the time to pay homage to those who have helped him get to this point. He discusses his start to his career with his siblings encouraging the development of his golf game, fellow Oklahoma Golf Hall Art Proctor suggesting he get into coaching, and Mike Holder hiring him to be his assistant at Oklahoma State in 1997. He also discusses his later career at both Alabama and Baylor following his departure at OSU and the amazing assistant coaches and players he has had over the years. Finally, Coach McGraw thankshis wife Pam, who has supported him through the highs and lows over the past three decades at OSU, Alabama, and Baylor. I hope you enjoy listening to this recap of Coach McGraw’s career. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another Episode of Better Than I Found It! Today we welcome former Oklahoma St. All-American and long time PGA Tour Player, Willie Wood. Willie is one of the five members of the 2025 induction class for the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame, along with our very own Coach McGraw, Oklahoma club pro legend "Duffy" Martin, four-time PGA tour winner Andrew Magee, and 1962 US Amateur Champion Labron Harris Jr. This episode focuses on Willie alone, particularly on his complete dominance on the American junior golf tour. As Mike Holder once said, Willie Wood was the Tiger Woods before Tiger Woods was Tiger Woods. In this episode we talk about his entire career, from his junior career to playing the Masters with Arnold Palmer. Willie is truly a great guy, and I hope you enjoy listening to this episode. Thank you for joining the podcast Willie! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today on Better Than I Found It, we welcome the head coach of both the men's and women's golf team at Dallas Baptist University, Kenny Trapp. Coach Trapp's record at DBU, especially in the last 10 years, is nothing short of remarkable as the coach has won three national championships and produced over 40 All-Americans. His women's team just pulled off their 93rd team title under his leadership, a D2 national record. Now in his 21st year at DBU, his women's team is ranked 2nd in the country while his men's team is ranked 25th. An amazing person and coach, I hope you enjoy the listen as much as I did. Thank you for joining the podcast Kenny! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today we welcome longtime head coach of the Florida State Seminoles, Trey Jones, to Better Than I Found It. In 23 years at FSU, Jones has lead the program to heights never before reached. He has led the program to four top-five finishes at the NCAA Championship, including the 2024 NCAA Runner-Up. He has coached a total of 14 All-Americans including Brooks Koepka , Daniel Berger, and the most recent Ben Hogan Award winner, Luke Clanton. As great of a coach he is, he's a better person, and I hope you can see that shine through in the interview today. Enjoy the listen. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It. After the first few tournaments of the year, Coach McGraw uses the break in the schedule to recap how the season is going before diving into the thesis of this episode: Gratitude. Drawing inspiration from both his storied career and his autobiography,likewise named Better Than I Found It, Coach McGraw demonstrates the effectiveness and importance of maintaining gratitude in one’s life. From showing gratitude to Mike Holder, the man that both originally hired Coach McGraw in 1997 and let him go from Oklahoma State in 2013, to the gratitude that current PGA and Korn Ferry tour players Cooper Dossey, Ricky Fowler, and Johnny Keefer have shown for their collegiate careers and experiences, Coach McGraw encourages the listener to be grateful for the gifts and support they have been given in life. The episode can be best surmised with a quote by Daniel Makepeace: “you only get so many times to put the uniform on; don’t ever take it for granted.” I hope you enjoy the listen. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It, where today we welcome Eddie Brescher, the head coach of the University of Southern Miss, to the podcast. Having just started his eighth year at Southern Miss, Eddie's team is off to a hot start winning two of their first three events. His strong communication skills and enthusiasm for his work, two features that have helped him immensely in his career, are evident in this interview. Eddie has a great approach to coaching, and it's no surprise he's seeing the success he is right now. I hope you enjoy the listen. Thank you for joining the podcast Eddie! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today on Better Than I Found It we welcome former Sam Houston golfer Bret Gray. A multi-sport athlete growing up, Bret was undersized and under-recruited before going to play for Brandt Kieschnick at Sam Houston State. He turned into a highly competitive player at Sam Houston State, winning 3 tournaments and leading the Bearkats to a conference championship his senior year. Bret stopped by Waco for this interview on his way to the Korn Ferry tour school. I hope you enjoy the listen. Thank you for joining to podcast Bret!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It!As the Bears prepare for the 19th annual (notwithstanding the Covid year) Fighting Illini Invitational, Coach McGraw decides to share some of the history behind Olympia Fields Country Club, the home course of the Fighting Illini. Since being opened in 1923, Olympia Fields has hosted the Western Open five times, the BMW Open, the US Open twice, the PGA championship twice, a US Amateur Championship, a US Senior Open, and an LPGA Championship. The tournament itself is known as meeting ground of future professionals; as 71 tournament players have gone on to hold a tour card and eight of those have collected 18 major wins. I hope you enjoy listening to some of the rich history of this challenging course. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to Better Than I Found It! Today, Coach McGrawperuses his storied career and dives into his book (the original Better Than I Found It) to discuss qualifying: the process by which the players for new tournaments are selected. A sentiment reiterated to Coach McGraw by several hall of fame coaches, qualifying is “your job to get the best five players on the van, regardless of how you go about that”.  From caddying for a teammate, to only getting one ball to play, to reducing bogeys by a stroke if you birdie the next hole, Coach McGraw has used dozens of strategies to pick players for upcomingtournaments. With the addition of Coach Ryan Murphy to the team, new and interesting qualifying strategies have been added to the Bears’ playbook, with more to come. I hope you enjoy the listen!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to Better Than I Found It! Today Jay Goble, the head coach for the Baylor Women's Golf Team, joins Coach McGraw as they are in Michigan for the 4th Annual Folds of Honor Tournament. As Coach Goble explains, the Tournament was originally put on by Colonel Dan Rooney, a fighter pilot and PGA professional, as a charity tournament to raise money for veterans to go to college. Baylor alone has had over 200 veterans attend the university through the Folds of Honor Scholarship. Coach Goble further talks about the increased parity in collegiate golf on both the men's and women's side, the upcoming Bear Brawl Tournament at Ridgewood Country Club, the challenges of foreign players moving and living in the United States, and the upcoming ladies' golf season. Coach Goble is a staple of college golf, and I hope you enjoy listening to what he has to say. Thank you for joining the podcast Jay!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome Back to Another Episode of Better than I Found It! Today’s episode is a little bit shorter and sweeter as we gointo detail in both the recruiting of players and fundraising for new facilities. These topics are fresh on the mind of Coach McGraw and the rest of the Baylor staff as they sent the Summer recruiting and renovating the Billy, our stateof the art practice facility, Coach McGraw dives into his stories from the past to show the importance of both recruiting hardworking players and building great facilities. He also goes over the evolution of recruiting with the transfer portal, NIL deals, and changes in recruiting rules forcing him and others toadapt over time. With the Bears currently in a rebuilding cycle, there is no more important time to have good recruiting and facilities. I hope you enjoy the listen as much as I did. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Joining us today on Better Than I Found It is current points leader on the Korn Ferry Tour and former Baylor All-American, Johnny Keefer. Johnny made his return to Waco the last few nights to speak with our Baylor team before the start of the upcoming season. 14 months after finishing his senior year at the NCAA national championship, where he finished 25th to secure the lost spot to join the PGA Tour University, Johnny has found extreme success on the Tour, earning his place in both the US Open and the PGA Championship. Johnny talks about his playing mentality (including his hatred of losing), his professional career, and the development of his game to become a more complete player. I hope you get as much from Johnny as the players and I did this weekend. Thank you for joining the podcast Johnny!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Hope springs eternal this week on Better Than I Found It, as Coach McGraw discusses the challenges that players and coaches face as the new season begins. From the lifelong friendships that new players make to the challenges of beginning a new adventure, Coach McGraw shares stories from his experiences with players both former and current. As the Bears prepare to start their new season, Coach McGraw details the upcoming schedule. I hope you enjoy this episode! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It! A little different of an episode, today's guests are former Oklahoma State players of Coach McGraw: Michael Miller and Mark Johnson. Although they would not end up playing much professional golf and no longer compete today, they are prime examples of the reason coaches coach. They are good men who lives good lives. Furthermore, they are evidence of how the relationship between a coach and a player does not end upon graduation, as they enriched the life of Coach McGraw both during and after their playing career. I hope you get as much out of this as Coach McGraw and I did. Thank you for joining the podcast Mark and Michael! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Joining us today on Better Than I Found It is recently hired head coach for the Duke Blue Devils, Bob Heintz. Bob's first career was as a successful PGA tour player. He played in over 200 Korn Ferry events before he played for 6 years at the PGA level, and finally joined the ranks of college coaches in 2013. His first stop was at Penn, where he led the Quakers to a 2015 Ivy League Championship. He moved to Duke as an assistant coach in 2017, and became the head coach of the Devils on June 26th of this year. He has a unique perspective on the game of golf, having experience as a collegiate, Korn Ferry, and PGA player as well as a former assistant and current head coach. I hope you gain as much from this interview as I did. Thank you for joining the podcast Bob! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It, where our guest today is South Carolina Men's Golf Coach, Rob Bradley. Rob began coaching after an All-American career at North Carolina and a seven-year career on the Korn Ferry Tour. Although two years older than Tiger Woods, Rob describes the times he matched up against him both on the junior and collegiate level. As successful as his playing career was, his coaching career has been perhaps even more successful. He recently completed his first year at South Carolina after an 11 year stint at Purdue, where he brought the program to new heights. I hope you enjoy listening to what he has to say. Thank you so much for joining the podcast Rob! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It. Our guests today are former Oklahoma City University golfers Daniel Mitchell and Matthew Rison. This will be a different type of episode, as Daniel, Matthew, and Coach McGraw will be paying their respects to Scott Kedy, a Oklahoma City University legend and teammate of Daniel and Matthew, who sadly passed away on July 1st, 2025. All three attended Scott's funeral last week, and have decided to spend this episode sharing stories of their friend and teammate. Scott was a popular and talented member of the team, a devoted husband and father, and a good man. I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you to Daniel and Matthew for joining the podcast and sharing their memories with Scott. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will Greene---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to Better Than I Found It, where today Ryan Donovan, head coach for SDSU men's golf, joins the podcast. Coach Donovan has led the program for 22 years and seen his team win seven Mountain West Conference titles. Perhaps most impressive, Ryan has recently seen his former players win three majors over the last two years, as Xander Schauffele won both the PGA Championship and Open Championship in 2024 and JJ Spaun won the most recent US Open just a few weeks ago. The coaches talk about all that and more this episode. I hope you enjoy. Thank you for joining the podcast Ryan!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today on Better Than I Found It we welcome newly hired Tulsa's Men's Golf Coach, Brandon Wilkins. Having spent five seasons as the associate coach at SMU, Coach Wilkins has the unique responsibility of building a program from scratch as Tulsa brings back Men's Golf after a nine year hiatus. He and Coach McGraw talk about the road ahead, from fundraising to building a roster. Both coaches concur that Tulsa bringing back Men's Golf is great for the sport. I hope you enjoy the listen. Thank you for joining the podcast Brandon!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode Better Than I Found It, where today we welcome Maddie Luitwieler-Caruana, the assistant coach for the Baylor Women’s Golf Team. Maddie came to Baylor from the University of Texas, who she both played and coached for under Ryan Murphy, our current men’s assistant coach. Coach Luitwieler-Caruana and Coach McGraw also share the connection of having lived in Edmond, Oklahoma, as she went to the same high school that McGraw coached for. Maddie brings a galvanizing energy to the women’s golf team, and is one of the great up-and-comers in college golf. I hope you enjoy the listen. Thank you for joining the podcast Maddie!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to Better Than I Found It! Today, former Georgia Tech golfer Chris Petefish joins us. Chris and Coach McGraw talk about everything about his career at Georgia Tech, from being recruited by hall of fame coach Bruce Heppler to his ACC championship matches. They also go into his transition to his pro career, as he has been on the Korn Ferry tour for the last few years. A self-admitted "strokes-gained nerd", they talk about the analytical side of golf and how young players and coaches can use data to drive their scores down. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode. Thanks for joining the podcast Chris! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

This week we welcome Roy Edwards, long time head men's golf coach for the University of Colorado, to Better Than I Found It. Coming off his 19th year as the head coach for Colorado, and one of his most successful, as his Buffs had nine top-three finishes and finished the season 23rd at the NCAA championship. Coach Edwards and McGraw especially connect on their love for Prairie Dunes Country Club in Kansas, the course Roy grew up playing. I hope you enjoy the listen. Thank you for joining the podcast Roy! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

This week we welcome Mississippi Gulf Coast Head Coach, Brad Thornton, to the podcast. Brad, an alumnus of the school, is fresh off leading the Bulldogs to their second consecutive NJCAA Division 2 National Championship. Brad is a young coach, but his wisdom belies his youth. I think you'll enjoy listening to what he has to say. Thank you for joining the podcast Brad!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Fresh off winning the 2025 NCAA National Championship, we welcome Alan Bratton, head coach of the OSU Cowboys, to the podcast. Coach Bratton and Coach McGraw discuss last week's championship at La Costa, and later share a trip down memory lane to the NCAA Championships they both competed and coached in, including the one they won together in 2006. Both coaches boast a championship laden pedigree, as two of the four head coaches to ever coach OSU men's golf. OSU men's golf is the only D1 program in the country to have had every head coach in their history coach the team to a National Championship. I hope after listening to the podcast, you can see why. Thank you for joining the podcast Alan! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today's guest on Better Than I Found It is Austin native and former Baylor golfer, Matthew Perrine. Matthew played for Baylor from 2015-2018, was an All-American, set several school records, and was the 2018 Byron Nelson award winner, an award given to the most outstanding scholar-athlete of the year. His story starts before his time at Baylor, however, as he played junior golf against Will Zalatoris, Scottie Scheffler, and Jordan Spieth. He is a fantastic representative of our university, and I hope you enjoy listening to his story. Thank you for joining the podcast Matthew! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Joining us on Better Than I Found It this week is the assistant coach for the University of North Texas, Cory Churchman. Cory and Coach McGraw actually recorded this episode in person as they prepared for a youth golf camp. Despite working alongside Luke Calcatera, a podcast guest just a few weeks ago, Cory shares how his philosophies and ideas as a coach differ from the UNT head coach and how they have achieved synthesis and success in Denton. Cory also shares about the importance of his faith in his work, his perspective on the future of NIL money in college golf, and his plans for the University of North Texas. I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you for joining the podcast Cory! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to Better than I Found It! Today's guest is former Vanderbilt All-American based out of Austin, Texas: Cole Sherwood. Currently 19th on the points list of the Korn Ferry Tour, Cole is an excellent example of a young golfer who understands the value of good coaching. His college coach, Scott Limbaugh, praised Cole for his ability to improve every year due to his insatiable growth mindset. To those who follow college golf, it is no surprise to see Cole continue to improve on the tour. He's an up-and-comer you will want to be following in the future. I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you for joining the podcast Cole! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome to the 250th episode of Better Than I Found It! It has been 250 straight Mondays, almost five years, since Coach McGraw and Mikkel first sat down in a recording booth over Covid to tell Coach McGraw's story, and we would like to thank each and every person who has listened to the podcast over the years. We especially would like to thank those who have been there since the podcast first began; we would not be here today without your support. On this special episode, Coach McGraw delves back into his "Stuff That Works" journal. He shares stories from the experiences and knowledge he has gained from professional golfers and coaches such as Jim Colbert, Mike Holder, and Claude Harmon III. Coach McGraw also shares his opinions on instruction, learning from your mistakes, and simply playing the game. I hope you enjoy episode 250!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome back to another episode of Better Than I Found It, where this week Coach McGraw interviews former University of Texas golfer Marcus Jones. A native of Graham, Texas, Marcus was the number two ranked national junior golfer, just behind Tiger Woods. Because of his ranking he was often paired with Tiger, and he discusses that as well as the challenges of growing up a golfer in a small town with a 9-hole golf course and the large amount of players that come from Graham. A good chunk of their conversation centers around College Golf Fellowship, a ministry organization Marcus has been a part of for 15 years. His deep Christian faith shines through this interview, and I hope you enjoy. Thank you for joining the podcast Marcus! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

As the Bears prepare for the Big 12 Championship, running from Tuesday April 22nd to Thursday April 24th, Coach McGraw takes a moment to share his experiences from the site of the tournament: Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa. From his father's time working as the assistant pro at the club to, watching Arnold Palmer and Jack Niklaus tee off at the 1970 PGA Championship, to the first time he played the course itself, Coach McGraw has plenty of experience with Southern Hills. I hope you enjoy listening to these stories as the Bears prepare to play the course for themselves. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Joining Better than I Found It today is Robby Pickett, assistant coach of Abilene Christian University's Men's Golf Team. Despite his youth, Robby has already served as a graduate assistant, assistant coach, and head coach of two different schools, all before the age of 30. Robby talks about his history with his own golf coach as well as his interactions with his wife, Ali, who is the assistant coach for the ACU Women's Golf Team. I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you for joining the podcast Robby!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today we welcome Conrad Ray, the longtime director of golffor Stanford and former teammate of Tiger Woods, to the podcast. Over his 21 hall of fame years at Stanford, he has coached his teams to five Pac-12 championships, 15 national championship appearances, six top-10 finishes, and two titles. He’s coached 31 All-Americans, 11 of which have been first-team All-Americans, and is a two time Dave Williams Coach of the Year Award winner. It’s safe to say his resumé speaks for itself. There is a plethora of history in this episode, and I hope you enjoy listening to one of the greatest of all time. Thank you forjoining the podcast Coach Ray! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Welcome to Better Than I Found It, Luke Calcatera. Luke is one of the great up-and-coming coaches in college golf. Currently in his second year at UNT, Luke found great success at the division two level, as he spent over 10 years at Arkansas Tech, his alma mater. Luke’s teams set a national record of five consecutive trips to the Elite 8, including when they won the 2021 division two national championship. Luke is a fantastic recruiter and I hope from this interview you see why his teams have had such success. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Joining us this week on Better Than I Found It is the head coach of Ole Miss, Chris Malloy. Chris has seen immense success over the course of his career, including an NCAA divisional championship, a Fred Haskins Award, and just this year leading his Rebels to their first AP number one ranking. As of this recording, Ole Miss is ranked fourth in the country. Thank you Chris for joining the podcast!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today on Better Than I Found It, Coach McGraw again shares stories from his "Stuff That Works" journal. In this episode Coach uses his journal to illustrate the dedication required to be a professional golf player. Using his experience coaching a litany of players, from Kyle Jones to Rickie Fowler to Johnny Keefer, Coach exhibits the different paths players have taken to go pro. The shared trait all these players have, however, is that if you want to become the greatest at the game, you must be 100% dedicated to making your dreams a reality. I hope you enjoy this episode. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

This week on Better Than I Found It, Coach McGraw once again draws from his book of "Stuff That Works" to share experiences from his storied career. From changing the rules of high school golf to allow coaches to follow their players, to the legendary Mike Holder being challenged by a referee on a bylaw he wrote; I hope you enjoy and gain some interesting information from this episode. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today on Better Than I Found It, Coach McGraw delves into his book of "Stuff That Works." Coach gets personal with the audience as he discusses his former tobacco addiction and how he overcame it to be a better example to those around him. He speaks on how he imparted this lesson onto his players in the 1988 Oklahoma High School State Championship. I hope you learn a lot from this episode. Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today's guest on Better Than I Found It is Scout McNealy, former Baylor Golf Player and current PGA tour caddy for his brother, Maverick McNealy. Scout has been caddying his brother throughout his recent run of success, which has included a victory in the RSM classic and a runner up finish in the Genesis Open just last week. Scout and I discuss his work caddying for Maverick, including how it came about as well as the nuances of balancing brother love with professional relationship. A former podcast guest, I hope you gain as much from this episode as from his first appearance. Thank you so much for joining the podcast again Scout! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today we welcome to the podcast the associate head coach of Notre Dame and former head coach of the University of Miami, Ohio, Zac Zedrick. As the coach of Miami for fifteen years, he led the Redhawks to the 2015 MAC championship. After he joined John Handrigan in South Bend in 2021, the Irish qualified for the NCAA Finals for the first time since 1967. He has coached multiple All-Americans over the years and I respect the way he carries himself both as a person and coach. Thank you for joining the podcast Zac!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Joining us on Better Than I Found It for the second time is golf strategy expert, Scott Fawcett. Scott is the founder and CEO of Decade Golf, an advanced course management system, and has been teaching his philosophy of course strategy for a little over ten years. His work has had an enormous impact on the play of golfers at all levels of competition. During our interview he gives an alternative perspective on strokes-gained statistics and highlights the common mistakes made by golfers who use strokes-gained as a benchmark of quality play. Scott consistently has fascinating perspectives on the game, and I hope you gain as much from this interview as I did. Thanks for joining the podcast again Scott!Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcastAssociated social media accounts:Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGrawBaylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolfProduced and Edited by Will GreeneMusic: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com---Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Our guest today is longtime head coach of the Auburn Lady Tigers, Kim Evans. A member of the WGCA hall of fame, Kim coached Auburn from 1994 until her retirement in 2015. During her time there the program was a consistent national contender and captured 8 SEC titles. We discuss her golf career, and even her battle with cancer, which she, the fighter that she is, won. Thank you so much for joining the podcast Kim! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcast Associated social media accounts: Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGraw Baylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolf Produced and Edited by Will Greene Music: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Our guest today on Better Than I Found It is Glen Millican, the head coach of the University of Missouri's golf team. In his second year at the program, Glen has made a huge impact so far. We also discuss in detail his years at New Mexico, where he went from player to assistant coach to one of the youngest head coaches in college golf, as he coached the Lobos for 22 years. Glen's teams at UNM saw huge success, winning 39 tournament titles, eight conference titles, and two top-five finishes in the NCAA championship. He's coached 17 All-Americans and six players who would go on to play on the PGA Tour. A Texas native, we also talk about our mutual love for our childhood football team, the Dallas Cowboys. Thank you so much for joining the podcast Glen! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcast Associated social media accounts: Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGraw Baylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolf Produced and Edited by Will Greene Music: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

Today's guest on the podcast is the former head coach for UT's women's golf team and my most recent hire as a Baylor assistant coach, Ryan Murphy. Ryan's coaching record is outstanding in every way. Over 23 years and four different coaching positions, teams he has coached have won 12 conference titles, five regional championships, and one NCAA national championship. Teams that he has coached have finished in the top five at the National Championship seven times. Ryan is a brilliant golf coach who will be an amazing asset to our players. Thank you for joining the podcast Ryan! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcast Associated social media accounts: Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGraw Baylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolf Produced and Edited by Will Greene Music: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message

My guest today on Better Than I Found it is former Auburn First-Team All-American and 2002 Curtis Cup Team member, Courtney Trimble. Courtney and I talk about her relationship with Hall of Fame coach Kim Evans, whom she both played for and then was an assistant coach for at Auburn. Courtney describes how Evans prepared her to be an effective head coach, which she would be for UCF and later Louisville. Though she has retired from coaching, Courtney has stayed connected with golf through two initiatives. First, through "Fore Hire", a company she created to help former collegiate golfers find a career after graduation, and second through developing a mentorship program with the WGCA (Women's Golf Coaches Association). She is a great person and a credit to the game of golf. Thank you for joining the podcast Courtney! Subscribe to the podcast for future episodes. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook —> @BetterThanIFoundItPodcast Associated social media accounts: Coach McGraw - @BearCoachMcGraw Baylor Men’s Golf - @BaylorMGolf Produced and Edited by Will Greene Music: DriftMaster by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanifoundit/message