March 8, 2007

Staten Island, NY - John Garland, head coach and overseer of both the men's and women's golf programs at Wagner, has resigned after eight seasons on Grymes Hill.

First year assistant coach Dean Gultula - a four-year letter winner as a player at Seton Hall University - will take over for Garland as interim head coach.

A recently retired New York City firefighter, Garland produced a litany of successful Northeast Conference golfers, most notably Alysse Sweeney, who was crowned the NEC's individual champion in 2004 as a sophomore. He also had success on the men's side, coaching Sean Piotrowski to a second-place finish also, in 2004, and Chris Kline to a fourth-place finish in 2000.

Garland's women's teams finished as well as third three times during his tenure in 2002, 2003, and 2005 and his men's teams finished as well as third once, in the 2000 season.

Garland came to Wagner in 1999 as a distinguished and well-respected golfer, himself, in the surrounding metropolitan area. He is a five-time winner of the Staten Island Golf Championship and a four-time club champion at Latourette Country Club, home course of the Seahawks.

The Seahawks, under head coach Dean Gultula, will open up their spring season on April 1 at the Monmouth University Golf Invitational.