INTRODUCTION: Ever since he took up golf as a sport, Dan Wesley picked up different traits from his coaches.One of those is to hold the students accountable to be their best. If not, he is doing them a disservice - as he explains here...

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When did you become interested in coaching? Why?
I became interested in coaching when I was playing here at Rochester.  Most likely it was always inside me to some degree, but being named a team captain before my senior year certainly brought it to light.
 
Did you compete for a coach who lit the spark that started your interest?
I was blessed to play for several coaches in different sports before coming to UR, but certainly playing for Don Smith took it to a level that solidified the desire. (ED. NOTE - Donald Smith was a coach and administrator at the University for 40 years. He coached the golf team for 27 years and made 14 consecutive appearances in the NCAA National Championships. His teams were ranked in the Top 20 every year from 1982-1995.)
 
What did he do that caught your attention?
It was a mixture of several things. He was able to motivate us in different ways for sure, but it was how much he cared about us and how much he loved the university that permeated through all of us.
 
What was your background in coaching before you arrived at Rochester?
Zero, but I assisted Rich Johnson for two seasons here before taking over.
 
What are some of the traits you adopted from your previous coaches?

1. Recognizing that every student-athlete has a different button to press, and my job is to discover what those buttons are.
2. Making sure our players know that if I'm not pushing them and holding them accountable to be their best, I'm doing them a disservice – so they need to be ready for it.
3. Making sure that every one of our players has clearly defined goals for what they want to accomplish academically, athletically, and if they care to share it, spiritually.

When you meet with your athletes for the first time each season, what do you talk about?
Goals & expectations.
 

If one of your athletes has a similar academic major to yours, do you ever talk about that field of study with the student?
Yes, every chance I get – especially since I'm an alum and there are still a few professors here from my days as a student.
 
What is involved with training off the field in your sport? Classroom work? Weight training?
We work with our fitness science team (Conner & Andrew) twice a week and with our performance specialist, Dr. Craig Cypher, every other week during the season.
 
Describe a typical practice session when your sport is in season.
They're all different because we practice in small groups and it varies from day to day & week to week, but the main focus is generally always driving drills, wedge drills, and short game drills. We also will play 18 hole qualifiers throughout the season as needed.
 
Is there one specific area connected with your team that you coach?
Course management, decision-making, & short game.
 
What do you try to teach the athletes relative to their background?
I think it's important that they embrace their background, and understand the positives they take from it; sometimes it's adversity they overcame or sometimes it's about counting their blessings – most often it's a combination of both.
 
One theory is that first-year students "… have to adapt to the college game…". How do you help them do that?
I let them know that how well they manage their time will directly relate to how well they'll adapt to college life, first and foremost. From there, they need to learn to compartmentalize. Our sport is clearly an individual sport, but college golf truly is a team game in that we need to make smart decisions in competition that have the best interest of our team score in mind.
 
What are your most important responsibilities to your athletes?
I make a promise to the parents that I will watch over their sons and guide them to the best of my ability as they grow, mature, and navigate their academic pursuits. I also promise to make them a better golfer and to provide them an opportunity to experience a winning team culture.