Brian Kortan excited for his second season at the helm in Aggieland

Key notes from Brian Kortan interview

• First, the program came to me when JT Higgins left and offered me the interim head coaching job for the year, which I was thankful for. Ross Bjork looked me in the eye and told me I had a year-long interview. He stuck to his timeline. Our staff was supportive, and our guys did a great job. The season didn't end how we wanted it to, so I was a little nervous. We accomplished some great things last year. Thankfully, they saw that I could do the deal.
   
• It felt a little different at times because I had to be more heavy-handed than I have in the past. That's not necessarily difficult for me because I am a parent. I spend a lot of time with our players, and in golf, there is no such thing as a two-hour day. The relationships are deeper than one might think. In their hearts, I don't think the players wanted to let me down. They had a lot to do with me getting the job.
   
• We all had to evolve daily last season. It was more of a day-to-day operation than ever before. I continued to be the guy that I was when I was the assistant coach. I had the same energy, humor and sarcasm. I just had to be more heavy-handed. As a head coach, my identity isn't set in stone yet, but we'll keep moving.
   
• Golf is a year-long sport. The NCAA considers us a spring sport, but we play in the fall. Our first event is on September 3. We play four events in the fall, and we don't end until June 1. We get a break from Thanksgiving until the second semester begins. It's a year-long sport, and we have a 144-day season.
   
• They just opened recruiting in June. We only have 45 recruiting days for the year as long as we're open and not in a pandemic. That's still a whole, 365-day calendar.
   
• We have a couple of new guys coming in. Dallas Hankamer from Temple has a lot of upside. I think he'll do great here. Phichaksn Maichon from Thailand is a great player, and he'll be here in a few days. He's energetic and could change the face of the program.
   
• We return a few guys. William Paysse is back. Walker Lee has been a part of the winning team about ten times in his career at A&M, and I look for great things out of him. Then, of course, Sam Bennett, the sixth-ranked amateur in the world.
   
• Cameron Champ and I are friends. He's so busy. It was great to see him win last week. It hasn't been the best year for him, and we all expect great things for him. He doesn't show a lot of emotion, but he cares so much. I saw a glimpse of him coming out of it at the John Deere, and it was good to see him breakthrough.
   
• There are so many teachable moments. I talk to the guys about how big the sport is. There are so many areas you have to stay on top of. The teaching moments are that if you work hard and compete, you'll put yourself in a position to be successful.
   
• The mental side of golf is personal. Some guys need to vent, while others can keep going forward. You have to learn your guys to help them better themselves. We spend a lot of time with them. It's all about getting back to a good, solid base.
   
• I was hired in June, and we hit the ground running in recruiting. We had a camp. Some of the bigger events in the country have been going on, so I haven't felt like my feet are on the ground. I look forward to the challenge at Texas A&M. Being here is as good as it gets.