By EVAN HERTEL
Pennant Reporter
Penn High School Athletic Director Jeff Hart announced that Al Hartman has been named the head coach of the Penn Boys Golf Program. He replaces Tony Polizzotto, who led Penn to Northern Indiana Conference championships the past three seasons.
Hartman is a Penn alum (Class of 1983) and has an impressive resume.
Hartman was the Athletic Director at South Bend Clay High School and has coached golf for more than 20 years. He also coached wrestling for 26 seasons and coached football for 15 seasons.
“Coach Hartman has a resume built on success both on and off the course,” Hart said. “He’s led multiple players to state placements (coaching two players to state titles), he’s been named conference Coach of the Year 3 times, and his extensive knowledge of the IHSAA and golf policy/procedures helped him stand out as an outstanding candidate. We can’t wait to watch him run this program.”
Coach Hartman is excited to return to Penn. He continues to love and respect Penn years after he graduated.
“Penn has always been a school that represented class, sportsmanship and competitiveness,” Hartman said.
Additionally, Coach Hartman has an outstanding background as both an athlete, and a leader. While
in high school, he was a state finalist in track and wrestling. After high school and college, he
was a teacher at Clay for 25 years and the Clay athletic director for nine years.
Coach Hartman also has many accolades, including coaching four NIC Championships in golf, and is a three-time NIC Golf Coach of the Year.
Hartman coached two-time state champion Jeremy Wilkinson for South Bend Clay. Wilkinson went on to be the No. 1 Golfer at LSU.
Hartman is excited about the opportunity to coach at Penn.
“When I heard there was an opening to coach at my alma mater when I was getting ready to retire from my Athletic Directors position at the end of the year, I jumped at the chance to coach, work with these fine young athletes.”
Hartman hopes that the Penn golfers will also develop the same love and passion that he possesses.
“Golf is the sport you can play for the rest of your life,” Hartman said.
Hartman said that he will stress IHSAA sportsmanship standards.
“Golf is a sport of extreme sportsmanship and incredible integrity,” Hartman said. “In no other sport do you keep your own score and report your own penalties.”
The 2025 golf season is something to look forward to, as Coach Hartman checks all the right boxes. He is skilled, experienced, respectful, and passionate, only few people can say they are all of those. One of his big goals for the program, he says, is that “I want these athletes to understand the importance of sportsmanship and integrity to be able to create a genuine love for the game.”
Having someone with the mindset of Coach Hartman in the driver’s seat of the program is going to be massively beneficial.
The Boys Golf Team Tryouts are scheduled for 4-6 p.m., Monday, March 24, at Knollwood Country Club.
Those interested in trying out must be registered in Aktivate (Register My Athlete), as well as a completed physical form approved by the Athletic Department, before they can try out. Students interested in trying out need to meet on the putting green behind the clubhouse.
