Hope College Sports Information Director Alan Babbitt asked a few of retiring Hope College men's golf coach Bob Ebels past and present golfers to share their memories of playing for Coach and how he impacted their lives.
Bob Ebels announces his retirement as Hope College men's golf coach.
Scott Lokers named 12th men's golf head coach at Hope.
COLLIN BREIT
"People that consider themselves students and fans of golf, feel passionately about the similarities between golf and life. We romanticize the intricacies of the game and how we've seen a correlation between how we handle ourselves on the course and how we handle ourselves in life. Many golfers know by heart Bobby Jones' infamous quote, "Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots, but you have to play it where it lies." Knowing this and knowing Bob Ebels, you can see why he coaches golf as though it has some added meaning to it. And I think we would be remiss if we don't acknowledge the fact that being a golf coach has some added opportunities and responsibilities. You have a hands-on role in leading, teaching, and pushing your recruited high school boys with the tool of golf to become men with integrity to represent the school and to smoothly transition into the world after college. After four years of playing and working under Coach Ebels, I know that he took this responsibility and opportunity seriously and succeeded with the men that came out of the program. From the time I was recruited to the time I left Hope Men's Golf, it went without saying that Coach had a passion for his job that went beyond just building a program that wins tournaments. He wanted to build a program that attracted players that wanted something more from golf. Players that want to be better friends to each other. Players that want to have an impact on campus. Most importantly, players that want to be servants and leaders. Coach Ebels put in decades of work and effort to create a program that asks his players to do more than just grow as players but grow as men getting ready for what is to come. He expected us to be compassionate to each other and to act with integrity above all else. And I can't help but say he is an incredible example of this for all of us still today. Coach Ebels is the kind of man that would invite his players to dinner with him and Marilyn, offer his house as a place for us to study, wasn't afraid to ask us how we were doing outside school, and isn't opposed to shedding tears in front of or with us. There is a relationship that he fosters with each of his players that digs deep and lets you know that he cares about you on a level that is so much more than Coach and Player. I know that's what's going to be hardest for him; more than leaving a program he built from the ground up, it's the idea that he won't have the same opportunity to foster relationships like the ones he has made with the 26 years of players he's had. This mentality helped shape a program that is proving to be one of the best in the country and I know we won't be missing a single beat with Coach Lokers at the helm."
NICK CAMPBELL
"I still find the level of consistent excellence over such a long career to be staggering, and I had a front row seat for four years. What I'll remember most about his leadership was the way that he could be as calm and soft-spoken as he was and still compete as hard as he did. I can count on one hand the number of times I heard him raise his voice, but he wanted to win as badly as any coach I've ever met, even after 25 years. He expected his players to exemplify what it meant to be gentlemen and student athletes, but he always found a way to see the best in people. He really, truly loves his players. If you have the good fortune to be anywhere near his office, he'll find any excuse he can to show off the pictures he has from every season he coached and tell stories about how special this young man was or how gritty and competitive that player was. I never saw a player graduate where he wasn't simultaneously filled with pride to see stepping out into the real world and still heartbroken that he had to say goodbye. I quite literally can't imagine Hope Golf without Coach Bob, they seem synonymous to me. I'm so grateful for having been able to play for him, and I can't thank him enough for making my Hope career possible. Scott Lokers will make a phenomenal head coach, he's got as much competitive fire as Bob does and (also like Bob) he is a very talented player in his own right, which goes a very long way in building a trust and confidence in a player/coach relationship. I can't wait to see him pick up the torch."
KEVIN FRENG
"Bob was more than just a coach, he was (and continues to be) a role model and a friend. He has developed an incredible program at Hope which I feel is a testament to his hard work and his character. He focused on much more than just golf. As a parent, I can only hope that my kids have an influence like Coach Ebels during their college years. I wish him the best in his retirement!"
FRANK GAUNTT
"Twenty-five years ago, Coach Ebels touched my life in a way I still feel today. He asked me what I wanted out of Hope College and what I wanted out of the golf program. A brand new golf coach asking me what I want not telling me what he wants, oh did I mention he's selfless, a man who truly puts others before himself with his faith in God leading the way. What I wanted was to compete in the NCAA Championships and he promised to do everything he could to help me achieve that. Needless to say, once again he did not let me down. I was fortunate enough my second year to qualify for Spring Golf as an individual, it was mixed emotions as Coach asked if I wanted to play in the spring without the team. I told him I didn't know, getting practice in during the winter and not being with the team, was he up for a long Winter and Spring with Frank? With a resounding "YES," he said I'm ready I will open up my new business so you can practice and sacrifice my time this Spring to make it happen. I've never seen a Coach hustle so much to get me into the right golf tournaments and talk to the right people giving me an equal opportunity at an invitation to the NCAA Championships. With a Wife at home and a new business just started and now it seems to me, his children having a grandchild every 3 months, Coach Ebels spent that spring with me traveling all over the Midwest. How do you ever repay a man who sacrifices that much time away from his family for you? You can't. Coach, there's no doubt in my mind you are a Hall of Famer not only for where you have brought the Hope College Golf Program over the last 25 years, but more importantly for the sacrifices you've made for the Program and the Hope Golfers alike. This last year I had the opportunity to come home, my father's health was failing so I decided to take my mind off it and go see Coach Ebels and watch his golf team play, they were having such a great year. I walk up and shake his hand, we Embrace, it's less than 20 minutes before his team takes the course in an effort to solidify the Conference Championship. Not only does he make time for me, he doesn't say word one about his team, all he wants to know is how I'm doing and how my father is doing. Once again not about himself or his team but about a former player in pain that he can help heal for an afternoon. Again I ask myself how I can thank this man? Coach, I guess all there's left to say is THANK YOU, you ARE a Hall of Famer, not only as a Coach but as a Christian in the game of life."
JOSH GIBSON
"Coach has been quite impactful in my life. It started when he began recruiting me to come to Hope College. I hadn't really considered Hope before he showed up to my district golf tournament my junior year of high school. Since then, he has been a great mentor to me. He has helped encourage me to grow in my faith, and also has helped me grow as a golfer. It is very hard to be mad when he is around, he has a very calming presence. He has challenged me to become a better person, and above all else he has truly loved every member of the golf team like his own son. He was an incredible man who will be missed, but we can't be happier for him."
ANDREW GOBLE
"From the moment I first met Coach Ebels I knew he was a guy that I could look up to as a mentor and a role model. It was easy to tell that he had a deep heart for the Lord and for us guys. These last two years I always tried to get as much wisdom and insight as I could from him because I wanted to be a man of faith in the way Coach Ebels was. The second, and most important thing I would say about Coach Ebels is that he believed in me, and my teammates, even when nobody else did. Playing college golf at the Division II level usually means that as a player, you were passed up by a lot of college programs and coaches. So coach Ebels saw something special in every guy that he recruited and the biggest thing he did for me as a golfer was give me a chance, believing that I am great player. I will always look back on my relationship with Coach Ebels and appreciate the fact that he was an example to me as to what a man of great faith and passion should look like."
BEN LANTING
"Right away, the golf team was an incredible source of camaraderie for me in a time of transition to a place where I didn't know a lot of people. Coach cultivated an atmosphere that was conducive to building lasting bonds while we strived for excellence on and off the course. But as much as Coach Ebels has a passion for the game of golf, that pales in comparison to his fervor for God and for life. He is such a great coach because he deeply and genuinely cares for each member of the team, year in and year out. He wants us to strive to become better men off the course more than he wants low scores. His players are far more than just a number on a scorecard to him. He is a man high in character and integrity, but you'd never hear that from him because of his humility. He is one of the people I can look to as a role model for living a life that focuses on Jesus, and to me that is the best gift any coach can give. Congratulations on all your success and on your retirement, Coach! Thank you."
RYAN SHEDD
"Coach Ebels was an anchor for me during my time at Hope College. He taught me values like faith, honesty, integrity, commitment and fellowship. He led by example and served to further the interests of his players above his own. Success on the golf course was important to me and to Coach Ebels, but his impact far exceeded golf. Simply put - Coach Ebels made me a better person, and for this I will always be grateful."
RYAN SHEETS
"There are good coaches in every sport at all levels, but being a good coach doesn't mean you're a good person. Coach Ebels fits both. He is a good coach and to be honest, a great person. He had comfortable relationships with his players both on and off the course. It was easy to communicate with him outside of golf whether it be class, family or anything else personal. Those kinds of relationships are never guaranteed from coaches, but from my experience, Coach Ebels looked past golf and valued our education, well-being and becoming well-rounded adults. He and I have continued our friendship even though I have been out of school for nine years. That speaks to the relationship I developed with him during my time at Hope College."
KODY TAYLOR
"Coming into Hope College as an 18-year-old kid I wasn't sure what kind of impact or relationship would come between Coach Ebels and myself. With such an age gap I more/less expected for him to be my golf coach, drive the van, and see him at tryouts the next year. Boy, was I wrong! What a blessing for Coach to have come into my life. There is no person that has had more of a positive impact on my life- with the exception of my parents- than Bob Ebels. For whatever reason it was, we clicked with one another right away and now, 8 years later, I am so happy that he is part of my life and my thoughts on a weekly basis. Every time I see him and we embrace I know the both of us are close to tears because we are so thankful for the relationship that has developed as a result of attending Hope College and playing golf for Coach Ebels. Our schedules and locations don't allow us to get together all too often, but when we do it's plain to see we have not missed a step and pick up right where we left off. I came to Hope expecting to have a golf coach. After I graduated I realized I had just spent the last four years with a coach, a mentor, and a friend. I couldn't have asked for anything more from my college experience thanks to Coach, he made it that much better."
TOM YAMAOKA
"Coach, I still call him that, was always more than a coach. He was a leader, mentor, teacher, observer, and most of all caring friend. He seemingly always knew how to connect with players on the golf course but more importantly had a way of shaping his players into ambassadors Hope College and the game of golf would be proud of. I imagine anyone who played for Coach Ebels looks back fondly on their time and recalls moments that stick with them today. The things our team accomplished pale in comparison to the memories and friendships that were created and fostered through Coach Ebels' leadership."
