Penn High School Athletic Director Jeff Hart announced that Brian Matthews has been hired as the new head coach of the Kingsmen Girls Golf Team.
Matthews replaces Katie Bella, who guided the Kingsmen to a seventh-place finish at the IHSAA State Championship last Fall. Bella resigned for family reasons.
A member of the PGA since 2019, Matthews has been an assistant Golf Coach at Holy Cross College from 2013-2023. He has worked at Warren Golf Course as an Assistant Professional. Matthews is currently employed by the South Bend Community School Corporation as a Technology Technician.
“We are thrilled to bring in Coach Matthews to lead our Girls Golf program,” Hart said. “His experience as a teaching Pro and his more than a decade of experience coaching men and women at the collegiate level will be a huge benefit to our student-athletes. I’m excited to see his leadership in action as he joins the Penn athletic family.”
Matthews said that he is looking forward to coaching Penn Girls Golf.
“Penn High School has a tradition of winning, and I am excited to join the Kingsmen family and continue that tradition,” Matthews said. “With 10 years of coaching experience at Holy Cross College, where I have led numerous teams and individual players to the NAIA National Tournament, I am determined to pursue a championship and continue the tradition of excellence set forth by the previous coaches.”
Bella guided Penn to Sectional Championships in each of her six seasons as the head coach, 2018-2023, as well as winning five NIC championships. The past two seasons, Bella’s Kingsmen have won the Regional Championships, and four of her six years, the team or individual players qualified for the State Finals.
Penn boasts three Girls Golf State Championships in program history, all under former head coach Jim Garrett.
“Katie has had an amazing tenure as our head coach the last 6 seasons!” Hart said. “Her passion for teaching and coaching is evident in her relationships built with student-athletes, fellow coaches, and our athletic department. We wish her the best as she steps away to focus on her growing family and I appreciate all she did to create a positive, winning culture in Penn Girls Golf.”
