CLEMSON, S.C. — Former two-time All-American Joey Maxon has been named assistant coach for the Clemson men’s golf program. Head Coach Jordan Byrd, who had served in a similar position under Larry Penley for the previous 17 years, made the announcement on Thursday.
Maxon comes to Clemson with a long resume as a professional golfer, teacher, assistant coach and head coach. Most recently he served as the head men’s and women’s coach at nearby Southern Wesleyan University (Central, SC) for the last seven years. He also has assistant coach experience at strong southeast programs Charlotte and East Tennessee State. He played professional golf from his graduation from Clemson in 1998 until 2007.
“I am more than excited to announce that Joey Maxon will be our next assistant coach,” said Byrd. “Joey brings with him a wealth of knowledge from his own playing days as an All-American at Clemson, as a professional who played in two US Opens, and as a veteran collegiate coach. His experience in coaching and passion for our golf program will make him an outstanding recruiter and coach. Joey is a great family man who will be a terrific mentor for our current and future Tigers.”
Maxon’s men’s program won three tournaments, including the 2016 NCCAA Regional and posted back-to-back top six finishes at NCCAA Finals, including a third-place in 2016. In 2018, the Warriors posted a fifth-place finish in the program’s second year of eligibility in the Conference Carolinas Tournament. Freshman Eric Shea stunned the field by gaining medalist honors, the first individual conference championship for the Warriors. Maxon coached six all-conference and two all-tournament men at Southern Wesleyan.
The women’s program recorded multiple top five finishes, including a program-best fourth place finish at the conference tournament this past season. Senior Claire Page had an outstanding career both on and off the course, as she posted medalist honors at the North Greenville Invitational in the Spring of 2018, and later became the program’s first NCAA All-American Scholar. Page also earned NCCAA All-America honors when she recorded a sixth-place finish at the NCCAA Championships in Palm Coast, Florida. Maxon coached four all-conference and three all-tournament female golfers at Southern Wesleyan.
Maxon was an assistant coach under Ryan Cabbage at Charlotte between 2011 and 2014. The 49ers went to the NCAA Tournament each year and won the Atlantic 10 Championship in 2013. The native of Dover, Delaware began his coaching career at East Tennessee State in 2010-11.
Between 2007-10 Maxon was a teaching professional at Springfield Golf Club in Fort Mill, SC.
Maxon played professionally on various tours between 1998 and 2007. He played in four PGA Tour events, including the 2001 (Southern Hills) and 2004 (Shinnecock Hills) US Opens. Over his career he won 11 tournaments on tours that included the Egolf Tour and the NGA Tour. He was a fully exempt member of what is now the Korn Ferry Tour in 2002. He played in his first PGA Tour event in the fall of 1998 at Kingsmill. He made the cut at the 2000 Bellsouth with Jordan Byrd as his caddy.
Maxon was a starter for Larry Penley’s program between 1994-98. He was an honorable mention All-American and first-team All-ACC player as a sophomore and a senior. He finished 19th in the Golfweek/Sagarin national rankings in 1996, and 17th in 1998. Both of those seasons he finished in the top 10 of the NCAA Tournament, and joined teammate Charles Warren as the first two players in Clemson history to record two Top 10 finishes at the national tournament.
For his career, Maxon had 14 top 10 finishes in 44 tournaments. That includes those two top 10’s at the national tournament, an eighth-place at the 1997 NCAA Regional, a fifth place at the 1998 regional and a fifth-place at the 1997 ACC Tournament. He finished in the top 20 in all four of his NCAA Regional appearances and finished in the top 25 of all four of his ACC Tournament appearances.
Over his four years, Clemson finished in the top 15 in the nation three times, including third in 1997 and second in 1998. The Tigers won the 1995 NCAA Regional and posted two other second-place finishes at that event. He started on the ACC Championship Clemson teams of 1997 and 1998. Each of those two ACC title teams he was in the Clemson lineup along with Jonathan Byrd, Jordan Byrd’s brother.
The 1998 Clemson graduate (business management) is married to the former Elizabeth Harris Maxon, the granddaughter of Clemson legend Banks McFadden. The couple have two children, Lucy and Oliver.
