Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Ashton Scott
Swanson Named Assistant Men's Golf Coach
July 31, 2026 | Men's Golf
Edwards tabs recent CU grad to add to his staff
BOULDER — The University of Colorado men's golf team has added recent graduate Hunter Swanson as an assistant coach, head coach Roy Edwards officially announced Friday.
Swanson, 22, who recently turned professional, is the fifth former Buffalo that Edwards has hired on his staff in his 21 seasons, joining Ben Portie, Jim Grady, Patrick Grady and current associate head coach, Derek Tolan.
"We are very excited to add Hunter to the staff as he also begins his career as a touring professional," Edwards said. "Hunter is a very hard-working and well-liked member of our team with a natural feel for coaching. There is no doubt he is going to help us this year and I know the guys on the team are happy to have him back in this new role. He will be involved in every aspect of the program - from recruiting to player development to in-tournament coaching."
"It truly does mean a lot to me that Roy and Derek even thought of bringing me back to help coach the boys next year," Swanson said, who recently also turned professional. "Here it is actually happening and it still doesn't feel real. I had an amazing four years at CU and I truly do owe my coaches, my teammates, my school, and everyone around me those years a great debt, and I'm hoping I can repay some of that debt as an assistant coach."
"All of the knowledge and experience that I retained over my college career has built me into the player I am today," he continued. "I am ready to share some of that with next year's team and strive to help contribute to a national championship run which I know we are for sure capable of. Being able to stay in Boulder and Colorado in general for at least another year to help get my professional golf career on the ground running means the world to me as well.
Swanson, 22, who recently turned professional, is the fifth former Buffalo that Edwards has hired on his staff in his 21 seasons, joining Ben Portie, Jim Grady, Patrick Grady and current associate head coach, Derek Tolan.
"We are very excited to add Hunter to the staff as he also begins his career as a touring professional," Edwards said. "Hunter is a very hard-working and well-liked member of our team with a natural feel for coaching. There is no doubt he is going to help us this year and I know the guys on the team are happy to have him back in this new role. He will be involved in every aspect of the program - from recruiting to player development to in-tournament coaching."
"It truly does mean a lot to me that Roy and Derek even thought of bringing me back to help coach the boys next year," Swanson said, who recently also turned professional. "Here it is actually happening and it still doesn't feel real. I had an amazing four years at CU and I truly do owe my coaches, my teammates, my school, and everyone around me those years a great debt, and I'm hoping I can repay some of that debt as an assistant coach."
"All of the knowledge and experience that I retained over my college career has built me into the player I am today," he continued. "I am ready to share some of that with next year's team and strive to help contribute to a national championship run which I know we are for sure capable of. Being able to stay in Boulder and Colorado in general for at least another year to help get my professional golf career on the ground running means the world to me as well.
In lettering four years under Edwards, as a senior, he was the recipient of CU's co-Male Career Athletic Achievement Award. He led the team in stroke average for the '25-26 season, his 70.54 mark the fifth-best in school history (as was his 69.83 figure for the fall portion). Incredibly, he did not have a score worse than a double bogey on his last 1,025 holes as a Buffalo (and only 15 doubles) as he made 85.0 percent of his holes in par or better fashion (out of 702). He ended his Buff career first in the most pars (1,706), third in birdies (502) and eighth in eagles (14). He had five stretches where he scored par or better on 30 or more straight holes, topped by 42 in the 2023 Maui Jim Individual, the fourth-longest streak in the CU record book.
Swanson finished his career with the second most rounds played – 153 – and the third-best average 71.67, behind two of his former teammates, Justin Biwer and Dylan McDermott (70.95 and 71.10, respectively). He also owned the best middle round average in CU annals (71.06 for 53 rounds). He ranked in the top echelon of several career categories, most notably: second in major tournaments played (50) and even par rounds (25), third in rounds in the 60s (44), tied for third in tournaments under par (22), fourth in tournaments at or under par (24), fifth in subpar rounds (56). rounds of par or better (81) and first round scoring (71.62), sixth in final round average (72.33).
He became the 17th member to join CU's prestigious 10,000-stroke club, he finishing fifth with 10,965 but owned the third best average (71.67). He had three top five career efforts, topped by a fourth place in the 2024 Washington State Palouse Collegiate (a 12-under 65-67-69—201).
Swanson enjoyed an outstanding amateur career. He was twice named as the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado (JGAC) Player of the Year for 2020 and 2021. During the latter, he tied for first but lost in a playoff in two major events: in the First Tee National Championship at Clemson, S.C. and in the Colorado Junior PGA Championship; his third round 67s in both were the low rounds of each tournament. He reached the quarterfinals of the Colorado Golf Association's Match Play Championship.
In the summer before he enrolled at CU, Junior Golf Scoreboard ranked him as the No. 1 prep golfer in Colorado (and No. 99 in the United States). He won the Colorado Junior PGA Championship, tied for second in the AJGA Hale Irwin Amateur, tied for third in the CGA's Western Chapter, tied for fourth in the Boys Junior America's Cup and was a member of Team Colorado, the team's top performer. In 2024, he tied for third in the Southwestern Amateur, the third-best finish by a Buff golfer in the event. And in 2025, he was medalist in Local U.S. Open Qualifying (6-under 66) and teamed with former Buff Wes Erling to win the CGA Four Ball Championship.
Swanson, who was born in Thornton, graduated with a degree in Business (Marketing) from CU's Leeds School of Business in May. He turned professional shortly after his graduation, and in his first tournament as a pro, he tied for sixth in the Colorado Open with an impressive 15-under par effort the last Sunday in July.
"I was born and raised here and it's where I feel the most comfortable, which is going to help me so much. Really words can't describe how excited I am. Our freshman coming in are great players, and we picked up a great player in the transfer portal who are going to be huge additions to our program. With Ty Holbrook and Brandon Knight ready to step into leadership positions, we are going to be in good hands. I'm also excited to be around all of our wonderful donors and everyone else who made our golf program possible and what it is today, I'm just not ready to leave all quite yet!"
At Denver's Northfield High School, he was a four-time, first-team All-State performer (he was the first in Northfield's history), a three-time, first-team All-Denver Prep School League selection, and a two-time DPS medalist. As a junior, he tied for sixth in the 2020 4A State Championship, after tying for second as a sophomore, and was also sixth as a freshman in 2018. He was named a "Future Famer" by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in its 2022 induction class.
Players Mentioned
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