Andover Golf Head Coach Brian Faulk ’00 first took on golf during his childhood. Inspired by his father and grandfather, two avid and experienced golfers who extended their knowledge of the sport to him, Faulk went on to pursue golf at Andover. Although he did not play in college, he now continues to participate in many amateur and mid-amateur events during the summers. Last year, Faulk was one of 55 to qualify for the Mass-Amateur Championship, narrowly missing 76-71 in the par-72 course.
In an email to The Phillipian, Faulk noted his appreciation for the meaningful relationships that form between coaches and players. Even though golf is an individualistic sport, Faulk views it as a chance to find community outside of the classroom and even engage in some of the tournaments that his players partake in.
Faulk wrote, “I teach and coach at Andover to work with such a dynamic group of student-athletes. I enjoy not only the competition, but also the trips in the rally wagons and the opportunity to mentor students inside and outside of the classroom.”
Jack McVeigh ’25 echoed Faulk’s sentiments, highlighting the genuine connections he fosters with every player. McVeigh noted that this trait sets Faulk apart as a successful coach.
“Mr. Faulk is very dedicated in what he does. He cares a lot about not just how we do as a team but each one of us individually as players and as people… He is really successful as a coach and makes us a better team all together,” said McVeigh.
McVeigh expanded on Faulk’s coaching style, which focuses playing real matches with his players and providing detailed and individual feedback.
McVeigh said, “I’ll just say often what often happens is I’ll be playing with him and I’ll make a mistake or I’ll do something that he thinks I could do better and then he’ll, after the hole is over, just have a little chat with me about what I could have done differently in a certain scenario. So I think just being really personal with his feedback when he gives it and it has been very helpful to me this season in realizing what I can do better individually.”
According to Sean Niu ’25, Faulk boosts players’ confidence and ensures that they understand the importance of maintaining composure while representing Andover. Niu also emphasized the benefits of Faulk’s hands-on coaching style.
Niu said, “When we practice, because golf is such an individual sport, everyone’s kind of focused on their own thing. And I think what Coach does [is] teach us to have a sort of confidence and to have proper Andover golf etiquette. And he kind of coaches us that we are representing the team, representing the school, anywhere we go. And number one, just instilling that etiquette in us. And, number two, he does come out and play practice rounds with us. And when he does that, he likes to give a couple of pointers as well.”
Reflecting Andover’s motto of non sibi, Faulk described the team values the players aim to uphold during their matches.
“We believe in our core values of community and respect. We want to win, of course, but we would also want our team to be the group that embodies the ‘non sibi’ spirit on and off the course,” wrote Faulk.
Faulk recalled his Andover experience, proclaiming his time spent with golf to be the most memorable. He hopes that his players can view their experience in a similar fashion, and continue to build sincere and authentic connections with those around them.
Faulk wrote, “Competing on the golf team was the most enjoyable part of my time at Andover. I would be most happy if the team viewed their experience through a similar lens. Golf is an individual sport for the most part and playing on a team allows you to develop relationships with both coaches and teammates that you would not otherwise meet.”
