The Sun Devil Men's Golf program is hiring a full-time coach with a strong PGA Tour background.
James Hahn, who played at California and then played in nearly 300 PGA Tour events, has joined Matt Thurmond's staff, fresh off the top-five team's OGCC Fighting Illini Invitational win this past weekend.
Hahn won the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship and the 2015 Northern Trust Open. Born in South Korea but raised in Alameda, CA, he put together a PGA Tour career of more than a dozen years. He replaces Thomas Sutton, who earned the Washington head coaching job in the summer.
Welcome new @SunDevilMGolf Assistant Coach JAMES HAHN! pic.twitter.com/v38Z9D3mAK
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) September 22, 2026
"I'm incredibly excited to join the Sun Devil men's golf program and be part of one of the elite powerhouses in collegiate golf. I'm honored to share the knowledge and experiences I've gained throughout my professional golf career to help elevate the process and further the development of our players. I am here to support the team and each player in any way I can, both on and off the golf course. I'm grateful for the opportunity and can't wait to get started and contribute to the continued success of Sun Devil Golf."
Quoting Coach Thurmond
“James is a world-class golfer and person, and I’m really excited to work alongside him. He brings the most relevant experience, and I can see our player development surging with his coaching. He’s been where these guys want to go, and he’s an excellent teacher, coach, and mentor. We are getting better today. I’m definitely going to want James to play and practice with the team as much as possible. Maybe even have him coach the boys on his dance moves.”
First Bear to do this
Hahn became the first Golden Bear to win on the PGA Tour when he made a 23-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole at Riviera Country Club to outlast Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey in the 2015 Northern Trust Open. Hahn's highest previous finish in a PGA TOUR event was a third-place showing at the 2013 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.