Justin Silverstein has been named the new USC Women's Golf Head Coach.
JUSTIN SILVERSTEIN PROMOTED TO USC WOMEN’S GOLF HEAD COACH
July 09, 2018 | Women's Golf, Features
Former Trojan Associate Head Coach for both USC golf programs helped lead women to NCAA title in 2013.
Justin Silverstein, who was an assistant coach on the 2013 NCAA champion USC women's golf team and has spent the past two seasons as the associate head coach of the Trojan men's squad, was named the head coach of the Women of Troy team, USC athletic director Lynn Swann announced today (July 9).
Silverstein, 32, replaces Andrea Gaston, who was recently named the women's head coach at Texas A&M after 22 seasons at USC. In her USC career, three-time WGCA and Pac-12 Coach of the Year Gaston produced three NCAA team championships, five NCAA individual champions, four NCAA Players of the Year, five Pac-12 Golfers of the Year and three Honda Sports Award winners.
"Justin is a talented and well-prepared coach who knows the USC program well and is ready to lead it," said Swann. "We are confident that he will continue to keep us in the hunt for championships. He has proven himself as a top coach and recruiter on both the women's and men's side of the game, and he brings the learned knowledge of having worked with two highly-regarded coaches in (USC men's coach) Chris Zambri and Andrea Gaston. He understands the competitive collegiate landscape and he has the respect of our current and former players.
Said Silverstein: "I am excited to accept this opportunity. My time coaching and recruiting at USC will help make the transition a smooth one because I am very familiar with the women's roster. Coach Gaston obviously developed the women's program into a perennial powerhouse and I look forward to continuing that success. I want to thank Lynn Swann and (chief operating officer) Steve Lopes for this opportunity. And I'm very appreciative of Coach Zambri for allowing me to work with his men's program, which helped develop my coaching style."
Swann said that Stewart Burke, in his second year as the women's associate head coach, will continue in his role with the Trojans.
In the past two seasons (2017-18) with Silverstein as its associate head coach under Zambri, the USC men were an NCAA Regional champion and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017 and then won the Pac-12 Tournament in 2018. During that time as USC won seven tournaments, the Trojan men produced two All-American first teamers (Rico Hoey and Justin Suh) and four All-Pac-12 first teamers, as well as the 2018 Pac-12 Player of the Year (Suh) and Freshman of the Year (Kaito Onishi).
Before that, Silverstein served four years under WGCA Hall of Famer Gaston, the first two years (2013-14) as USC's assistant coach and the last two as its associate head coach (2015-16). During that span, the Trojans won the NCAA crown in 2013 with a dominating 21-stroke win, finished second in 2014 by two strokes, made the NCAA semifinals in 2015 and repeated as an NCAA match-play quarterfinalist in 2016. USC won 27 tournaments, including Pac-12 titles in 2013 and 2016 and finishing first at the NCAA Regional tournaments all four years.
Eight different Trojan women earned a combined 15 All-American honors during Silverstein's time with the program and nine Trojans garnered a combined 18 All-Pac-12 awards, including 2013 NCAA champion Annie Park (a 2013 Honda Sports Award winner) and 2014 NCAA champion Doris Chen (a 2014 Honda Sports Award finalist).
Silverstein came to USC after coaching four seasons (2009-12) at his alma mater, Arizona, the last three as a women's golf assistant and the previous one as a volunteer assistant.
In 2012, the Wildcats won three events and reached the NCAA Regional Championships. In 2011, Silverstein helped guide an Arizona team that won two events, posted three Top 8 finishes that included a tie for second at the Pac-10 Championships, and reached the NCAA Championships finals. Arizona also won two events in 2010.
Silverstein was a member of the Wildcats' men's golf team from 2006 to 2009, but a wrist injury suffered as a freshman limited him to two career appearances. He finished with a 74.83 career average and a low round of 69.
He graduated from Arizona in May of 2009 with a bachelor's degree in regional development and a minor in business. He was employed by the I.R.I. Golf Group before joining the Wildcat staff.
An accomplished prep golfer, Silverstein, born on Nov. 22, 1985, helped Torrey Pines High in San Diego, Calif., to a pair of state titles and was a four-time all-conference selection. He also participated in the 2003 United States Amateur Championship in Oakmont, Pa.
The USC women's golf team is arguably the top program in the country, as witnessed by NCAA titles in 2003, 2008 and 2013 and its current nation-leading 13 straight NCAA Top 5 finishes. USC also has 21 Top 10 NCAA finishes in the past 31 trips (including second five times, third five times, fourth three times and fifth three times). The Women of Troy won the Pac-12 tourney six times and the NCAA Regional a record 11 times (including 2010-16).
The 2018 Women of Troy, with a lineup of four freshmen and a sophomore, advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA tourney.
Silverstein, 32, replaces Andrea Gaston, who was recently named the women's head coach at Texas A&M after 22 seasons at USC. In her USC career, three-time WGCA and Pac-12 Coach of the Year Gaston produced three NCAA team championships, five NCAA individual champions, four NCAA Players of the Year, five Pac-12 Golfers of the Year and three Honda Sports Award winners.
"Justin is a talented and well-prepared coach who knows the USC program well and is ready to lead it," said Swann. "We are confident that he will continue to keep us in the hunt for championships. He has proven himself as a top coach and recruiter on both the women's and men's side of the game, and he brings the learned knowledge of having worked with two highly-regarded coaches in (USC men's coach) Chris Zambri and Andrea Gaston. He understands the competitive collegiate landscape and he has the respect of our current and former players.
Said Silverstein: "I am excited to accept this opportunity. My time coaching and recruiting at USC will help make the transition a smooth one because I am very familiar with the women's roster. Coach Gaston obviously developed the women's program into a perennial powerhouse and I look forward to continuing that success. I want to thank Lynn Swann and (chief operating officer) Steve Lopes for this opportunity. And I'm very appreciative of Coach Zambri for allowing me to work with his men's program, which helped develop my coaching style."
Swann said that Stewart Burke, in his second year as the women's associate head coach, will continue in his role with the Trojans.
In the past two seasons (2017-18) with Silverstein as its associate head coach under Zambri, the USC men were an NCAA Regional champion and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017 and then won the Pac-12 Tournament in 2018. During that time as USC won seven tournaments, the Trojan men produced two All-American first teamers (Rico Hoey and Justin Suh) and four All-Pac-12 first teamers, as well as the 2018 Pac-12 Player of the Year (Suh) and Freshman of the Year (Kaito Onishi).
Before that, Silverstein served four years under WGCA Hall of Famer Gaston, the first two years (2013-14) as USC's assistant coach and the last two as its associate head coach (2015-16). During that span, the Trojans won the NCAA crown in 2013 with a dominating 21-stroke win, finished second in 2014 by two strokes, made the NCAA semifinals in 2015 and repeated as an NCAA match-play quarterfinalist in 2016. USC won 27 tournaments, including Pac-12 titles in 2013 and 2016 and finishing first at the NCAA Regional tournaments all four years.
Eight different Trojan women earned a combined 15 All-American honors during Silverstein's time with the program and nine Trojans garnered a combined 18 All-Pac-12 awards, including 2013 NCAA champion Annie Park (a 2013 Honda Sports Award winner) and 2014 NCAA champion Doris Chen (a 2014 Honda Sports Award finalist).
Silverstein came to USC after coaching four seasons (2009-12) at his alma mater, Arizona, the last three as a women's golf assistant and the previous one as a volunteer assistant.
In 2012, the Wildcats won three events and reached the NCAA Regional Championships. In 2011, Silverstein helped guide an Arizona team that won two events, posted three Top 8 finishes that included a tie for second at the Pac-10 Championships, and reached the NCAA Championships finals. Arizona also won two events in 2010.
Silverstein was a member of the Wildcats' men's golf team from 2006 to 2009, but a wrist injury suffered as a freshman limited him to two career appearances. He finished with a 74.83 career average and a low round of 69.
He graduated from Arizona in May of 2009 with a bachelor's degree in regional development and a minor in business. He was employed by the I.R.I. Golf Group before joining the Wildcat staff.
An accomplished prep golfer, Silverstein, born on Nov. 22, 1985, helped Torrey Pines High in San Diego, Calif., to a pair of state titles and was a four-time all-conference selection. He also participated in the 2003 United States Amateur Championship in Oakmont, Pa.
The USC women's golf team is arguably the top program in the country, as witnessed by NCAA titles in 2003, 2008 and 2013 and its current nation-leading 13 straight NCAA Top 5 finishes. USC also has 21 Top 10 NCAA finishes in the past 31 trips (including second five times, third five times, fourth three times and fifth three times). The Women of Troy won the Pac-12 tourney six times and the NCAA Regional a record 11 times (including 2010-16).
The 2018 Women of Troy, with a lineup of four freshmen and a sophomore, advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA tourney.
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