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Spotlight on Former Athlete: William C. “Trey” Coker, III Golf 1990-93Coker’s game set new standards
Bruce Brown
Written for The Athletic Network
Bruce Brown lagolden83@aol.com April 23, 2012
When Trey Coker arrived at then-USL in 1990, he was a good junior golfer armed with an academic scholarship and a will to learn.
He left as an All-American with a bushel full of honors and a good enough game to play professionally.
“I was not very polished at all when I got there,,” Coker said. “I had won some junior tournaments, but mostly it was high school stuff.”
William “Trey” Coker III came to the Cajun program from Alexandria. His father was stationed at nearby England Air Force Base, and despite frequent military moves the younger Coker was bright enough to merit an academic scholarship to college.
Playing golf competitively seemed like the perfect compliment to that plan, and then-Cajun coach Louie Alford was glad to have him. The challenge was elevating his game to match that competition.
“College golf was a whole different level,” Coker said. “You were one of 100 people who could play as well as you did.
“It was nice that there were 5 or 7 of us who played really well. You had the chance to play against them every day. You either get better or go home.”
Teammates formed a bond that led to success, perhaps fueled by mutual respect in those daily challenges.
“In college, the team was a team,” Coker said. “In high school you were just looking to get enough guys to fill up a team. But it was different in college. Golf is an individual sport, but we were a team.”
Coker was named Louisiana Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year in 1990, proving he was a quick learner on the course.
Bob Bass took over the Cajun program when Coker was a sophomore, and a year later Coker was an All-American.
He was third-team All-American in 1992, chosen by the Golf Coaches Association of America, and was a preseason All-American pick the next year.
As a senior in 1993, Coker was an Academic All-American, the Sun Belt Conference medalist, All-Louisiana for the fourth year in a row and All-Louisiana Player of the Year for a second straight campaign.
He was on the American South Commissioner’s List in 1990 and 1991 and the Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll in 1992 and 1993.
Not surprisingly, Coker was named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Time Team when he was finished.
Also no surprise, he stayed to finish his degree, still finding time to hit the links with teammates to hone his strokes for the pro game.
“My junior year really opened my eyes,” Coker said. “I started to get a lot better. I remember in the State Amateur, playing 40 holes in a row without a bogey.
“Golf is not the kind of game where you take off a stroke here or there and go from 72 to 71. When you find your game, you go from breaking 80 to breaking 75 to shooting par golf. Progress equates to more than one shot.
“Sometimes it’s having the right technique, then doing the same thing over and over. But the difference comes when the pressure is on you, whether it’s a club tournament or the final round of a championship.”
As a senior, Coker sank a putt to assure the Cajuns a team championship the first time they won their own Louisiana Classics event.
“How you react to crunch time depends upon how nervous a person gets,” he said. “Those last few holes, you don’t feel anything. You just go with what got you there. You’ve done it a million times; you just have to do it a couple more.
“On that putt in the Classics, all I could hear was my heartbeat. It seemed like the ball went in slow-motion. We won by 1 stroke.”
Coker turned professional in 1994 and played on the Hooters Tour from 1994-98, winning that tour’s championship in 1996, before moving to the Nike (now Nationwide) Tour.
“That third year (1996) it all blossomed for me,” Coker said. “I said, ‘I’ve got this.’ In 20 tournaments, I was out of the top 10 (just) twice. Every aspect of my game was going well.
“In the championship, (former Cajun teammate) Chris Popp caddied for me. That was great. It helps to have a teacher on the bag.”
Coker received a $100,000 bonus for winning the tour, stayed with Hooters for another year, then joined the Nike Tour.
His upward progress was blunted, however, by recurring foot ailments that eventually ended his career. “I either had bad feet or developed bad feet,” said Coker, who still loves the game but suffers aching feet if he plays 4 days in a row. He also still has game, on occasion.
“I can still hit the shots, just 2 times out of 10 these days instead of 9 out of 10,” he said with a laugh.
“Golf is definitely a grind, but only when you play bad. Today, too. You can’t re-set your mind. You just keep going.” There have been recent Coker sightings at events like the Evangeline 4-Ball, as he nurtures fond memories of his college days spent in South Louisiana. He also stays in touch with teammates who helped him elevate his game.
“Chris Popp and I had dinner recently, and got together for a lesson,” Coker said. “Lane Kincaid stopped in a few days ago. It’s the type of people you deal with. You’re still friends. You just don’t see them as much.”
Craig Perks is another ex-Cajun who helped Coker’s growth in the game.
An insurance agent since 2000 with State Farm, Coker and his wife Crystal live in Leesville with sons Will (William IV), 11, and Matthew, 7.
“We have a lot of sales contests at State Farm, and that competitive situation helps out,” Coker said. “I’ve always been self-motivated; now I have to motivate my staff.
“Golf is such a game of integrity, and I learned from that. It’s a game of excellence and work ethic. Whether it’s golf, or me, or what, I’ve got that.”
Bruce Brown
Written for The Athletic Network
Bruce Brown lagolden83@aol.com April 23, 2012
Click here for the Golf photo gallery, then click the years 1990-93 for individual pictures of Trey, as well as pictures of him and his teammates.
Trey inducted into the Ragin’ Cajuns Lettermen Club Hall of Fame, Oct. 23, 2012.
Pictured L-R: Tiffany Harris, Vice President; Trey; Dwight Prudhomme, President. Click here for more 2004 Hall of Fame Induction pictures. Our rich athletic traditions were entrusted to the vision, hope, loyalty, and dedication of those former athletes and we will forever owe them a debt of sincere gratitude. May God bless each of them and their families. Anyone with information, materials, pictures, memorabilia, etc., of the university’s former athletic program participants is requested to contact Ed Dugas at athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu Thank you.The Photo Gallery Link located on the left side of the home page at www.athleticnetwork.net contains over 10,000 pictures of former and current athletes and support groups. Just click on photo gallery and when the menu appears, click on the sport or support group you wish to view. The years of pictures posted for that team or group will appear and you may click on the year you wish to view. One click on a thumbnail picture or narrative and it is enlarged; a click on the enlarged photo and it reverts back to the thumbnail. The Athletic Network seeks to post pictures of each team and support group for each year they represented the university. The stories of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 honorees featured in the Spotlight on Former Athletes are still included in the News Page and may be viewed by clicking on "more news" at the bottom right of the News Box, scrolling down, clicking on the title of the story. Those spotlight features which are no longer shown in the News Page, have been moved to the Lagniappe Link of the "History of UL Athletics" located on the left side of the home page. The Spotlight on Former Athletes announcement has also been placed in the profile of each honoree, excluding the pictures. 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
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