After Colorado State coach Michael Wilson returned to his alma mater to continue his coaching career, the men’s golf team welcomed Jack Kennedy.

Throughout his past eight seasons coaching at San Francisco, Kennedy led his team to the NCAA championship twice, helping them make 12 All-West Coast Conference selections.

“College athletics are always changing — it’s always fluid,” Kennedy said. “I was not really looking to leave USF but got called by CSU. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

Although the team just had their first meeting Aug. 26, Kennedy has not had much time to settle in before their first match in just a few short weeks on Sept. 17.

Despite having limited time, Kennedy is not rushing the training process but is instead allowing players to have the typical college experience while also being athletes.

“For me, college athletics is a really special time,” Kennedy said. “These kids are going to have four years to have the most fun, to get the most experience, to see the world (and) to compete at the highest level. It’s my job as a coach to provide them that experience in every facet.”

Kennedy brought a fresh philosophy to the field: Focus on coaching while helping his players become the best version of themselves.

Instead of rushing into training for the NCAA championship, Kennedy plans to take a step back and make sure the players have what is needed to be successful, fulfilling that well-rounded college experience.

“I’m a player’s coach,” Kennedy said. “I was a three-sport athlete myself. I know what it takes to be a college athlete and go to school and all the time constraints. We’re just trying to work with them on what has worked in the past and what I think works and combine the two together.”

Instead of trying to replace Wilson, Kennedy is focused on being his own person and coach, bringing what he knows to the team while “not trying to reinvent the wheel,” he said.

Kennedy said he hopes to make a positive impact on the team, connecting with the players and creating the sense of community he has experienced in his new home of Fort Collins over the past few weeks.

“I’m going to be the most positive, uplifting, joyous coach they can have here at CSU, and we’re going to enjoy the process of going through and winning championships,” Kennedy said.

CSU men’s golf has experienced a high turnover of coaches in recent years, and for players like Christoph Bleier, this will be their third coach in four years.

“(Christian) Newton was a great coach, setting up a great schedule for us,” Bleier said. “Michael Wilson had a great impact on our team, putting the team closer together. Now with our new coach, Jack, I think I see it trending in the same way, where we still compete inside the team and try to be a national championship team.”

Despite golf being a more independent sport, it is a coach’s job to aid them in their journey and push them to be the best they can be — and that is exactly what Bleier expects.

Bleier’s goal for his final season is to compete in the Professional Golfers’ Association of America Tour, specifically the Korn Ferry Tour, with the help of Kennedy.

“With coach Kennedy, we’re going to have a great season ahead of us,” Bleier said. “He’s going to prepare us well for tournaments. He’s going to keep competition high within the team. We’re all here to get better individually, and the coach helps us.”

For Matthew Wilkinson, this is his second coaching change while on the team, and he is already bonding with Kennedy over their shared love for the Denver Broncos.

“I know some people when they first come are skeptical of what could happen, but I think it’ll be a positive change,” Wilkinson said.

Over the summer, Wilkinson practiced to compete in the PGA Tour, too, and after winning a few tournaments, he said he feels confident he can make it there with Kennedy’s help.

Kennedy isn’t the only new person on CSU’s fields; he is joined by several other new athletes on the team.

“This year, we have five new people, which is more than half (of the team),” Wilkinson said. “It is kind of a new dynamic in its own.”

Although new to each other, the team is ready to begin the season and prepare for the games ahead.

“We want to enjoy the competition, but we want to beat everybody, and we want to win (at) the highest level,” Kennedy said. “We want to push to the next level, … on the golf course, … in the community, in the classroom — we want to be great.”

Reach Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @sophgwebb.