From news services

CHENEY — In October 2024, Eastern Washington athletics announced the revival of the men’s golf program and now the Eagles have found the coach to lead the team.

Russell Grove, in his 10th season as head men's and women's golf coach at North Idaho College, was hired as the head men’s golf coach at Eastern, which is restarting its men's program. Grove will be the sixth head coach in EWU men’s golf history, Eastern athletic director Tim Collins said.

"I’m thrilled to step into this role as head men’s golf coach at Eastern Washington University,” Grove said in a news release. “The return of golf to Eastern Washington is an exciting moment for our students, alumni, and the entire community. I look forward to building a program focused on fostering connections, building tradition, and providing our student-athletes with opportunities to excel academically and athletically."

Eastern re-adds men’s golf after the program was discontinued following the 2001-02 academic year. The Eagles will begin competition in the 2025-26 academic year as a full NCAA Division I program. 

“When we decided to bring back men's golf, I knew we needed someone to lead the program with experience in both college athletics and at the professional level. Russell brings both qualities to Eastern Washington,” Collins explained. “There is a lot of potential for growth for men's golf in this region and I believe Russell is the coach to achieve our goals as a department. I look forward to working with coach to develop the holistic experience and deliver on the academic and athletic outcomes for our men’s golf student-athletes. He will undoubtedly build this program up to the EWU standard of success."

Grove, a Coeur d'Alene High graduate who played at Idaho, was named Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year seven times.

In December, NIC trustees voted to discontinue the Cardinals' men's and women's golf teams, effective at the end of the current school year. The NIC teams played a handful of fall tournaments, then will play in the spring as a member of the NJCAA before being disbanded.

The Cardinals had a long history of success under Grove's leadership, leading both the men’s and women’s programs to undefeated regular seasons in 2023-24. He also led the men’s team to undefeated regular seasons in 2020-21 and 2022-23.  

NIC won the men’s NWAC championship from 2017 to 2024 (the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons were cancelled due to COVID). During that stretch of dominance, the Cardinals had 271 wins and 11 losses in conference. The women’s team won the NWAC title in the 2015-16 season. 

On top of coaching them on the course, Grove handled administrative and recruiting responsibilities for both golf programs. 

Along with being a college head coach, Russell is a certified Class Member of the Professional Golfers Association of America. He qualified and played in the 2023 PGA Championship at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.

Before taking over the program in Coeur d’Alene, Grove worked as an assistant golf professional. He worked at the Desert Highlands Golf Course in Scottsdale, Ariz., from 2012 to 2014, while also working at the Avondale Golf Club in Hayden Lake in 2013. As a golf professional, Russell was responsible for managing the service staff, managing the retail inventory, preparing tournaments, and repairing golf clubs, while also providing private golf instruction and handicap management. 

In addition, Grove worked as a teaching instructor at Bunker Indoor Golf and Training in Goodyear, Ariz. in 2010.

Grove graduated from the University of Idaho in 2009, double majoring in finance and marketing. He competed for the Vandals from 2005-09, setting 36- and 54-hole records. He earned three Western Athletic Conference scholar-athlete awards, along with three WAC Academic All-Conference, three outstanding individual scholastic awards, and three scholastic team awards. He also earned the Kathy Clark Scholar Athlete Award and the Idaho Top Scholar honor. 

EWU began competition as an NAIA team in the 1960s and competed until 1982 when the program was discontinued following the conclusion of that season. The program restarted in 1992 and competed until 2002, when it was discontinued a second time.