Completed Event: Men's Golf versus Puerto Rico Classic on February 9, 2026 , , 5th/15 - 831 (-33)
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Getting to Know Coach Ryan Hybl
July 09, 2009 | Men's Golf
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NORMAN, Okla. -- Just off the recruiting trail, Oklahoma men's golf coach Ryan Hybl took some time to do his first interview with SoonerSports.com on Thursday. Hybl, one of the most decorated golfers in University of Georgia history, and most recently an assistant coach for the Bulldogs, was named the 13th head coach in program history on June 22 by Joe Castiglione, Vice President for Athletics Programs and Director of Athletics.
Hybl, the brother of former Oklahoma quarterback Nate Hybl, has been on the staff at Georgia since 2005. He also played professionally during that time, competing in events on the Nationwide, Hooters and Tar Heel Tours, logging several top ten finishes before retiring in April of 2009 due to a career-ending elbow injury.
The new men's golf coach is no stranger to success both as a player and a coach. Hybl twice garnered All-America and All-SEC honors as the team captain of the Bulldogs during his junior and senior seasons, while later serving on a UGA staff that racked up five straight top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championship. The team won SEC crowns in 2006 and 2009 along with an NCAA East Regional Championship in 2008.Along the way, Georgia produced 14 All-Americans, 14 first-team All-SEC players, the 2006 SEC Player of the Year and the 2006 and 2008 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Sitting down with Hybl, it's evident that he would like to garner some of that same success at Oklahoma.
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Ryan Hybl - Q&A | July 9, 2009 |
• SoonerSports.com : Obviously you have a connection to OU through your brother Nate, who was the MVP of the 2002 Rose Bowl, but what attracted you to the Oklahoma men's golf position?
Hybl: “The attraction for me was the potential of the program. The infrastructure was already in place from the great facilities, the strength of the athletics department as a whole and an obvious commitment from the former players and alumni in keeping up with the team. All those things combined set us up for success and that was the reason I took the job.”
• SoonerSports.com : What is your recruiting philosophy and what type of players would you like to bring to OU?
Hybl: “We will search across the board, bringing in quality recruits from all across the country, but at the same time making sure that we keep a constant commitment to kids inside the state of Oklahoma. We can't let quality guys escape the state and that starts with changing the perception of the program. Recruits will soon understand that they can realize all of their potential here at OU and that we are committed to helping them reach their goals. So in the end, we will go after the best players we can get and the ones that do attend OU will leave not only better golfers, but better men.”
• SoonerSports.com : The team returns every player that competed last season. With the addition of the freshman class, what are some early goals for next season?
Hybl: “Short term goals include changing the expectation level of the program. From day one, we will be thinking about winning championships and that starts right now with their commitment during the summer. Work ethic is going to be a big deal. We must also achieve all of our goals in the classroom.”
• SoonerSports.com : How would you describe your experience with OU and Norman during your first couple of weeks here?
Hybl: “It's been great so far. The amount of support I have received from the media, former players, the athletics department and everyone that I have worked with has exceeded even my own expectations. It's very gratifying knowing the support that surrounds the program. Being on the road recruiting this past week, I haven't had a chance to venture far from campus during my time in Norman, but I can tell that the community certainly supports the university in a first-class way.”
• SoonerSports.com : What is your vision for the OU program, including both short-term and long-term goals?
Hybl: “It all comes down to knowing before you tee it up, that you have a chance to win the tournament. Whether it is a regular season event, the Big 12 Championship or an NCAA postseason tourney, we have to have the mindset that we can compete with the best of the best. That's the ultimate vision. We want to help these young guys develop in every facet -- not only their golf game, but their character side and academically as well.
• SoonerSports.com : You've made comparisons between the athletics departments at OU and Georgia and a commitment to excellence at both schools. Speak a little more about that and how that can help both you and the program.
Hybl: “One of the main attractions of this job was the caliber of coaches at Oklahoma that I can learn from. Not unlike Georgia, you can look across the board and the coaches of each sport are considered some of the best in the business. The coaches here at OU have records that speak for themselves and hopefully they can help me out with some pointers along the way, and if the opportunity presents itself I might be able to offer some advice back."
• SoonerSports.com : What are some of your earliest Oklahoma memories?
Hybl: “Going back to when I got recruited as a golfer out of high school, I remember my recruiting trip to Norman being awesome. It was a great college experience, as OU is all about tradition and history. With my brother playing here, I could relate very easily to my time at Georgia as the two have a very similar type of fan base, both expecting to compete for championships year in and year out.”
• SoonerSports.com : Besides OU's home course -- the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club, host of this year's U.S. Amateur Public Links -- the team in afforded the opportunity to play some great courses in the state. How does that help the squad and how beneficial it is having the University course right on campus?
Hybl: “It is pretty rare that you have the opportunity to play on championship courses such as Oak Tree and Southern Hills regularly. Those two tracks are known nationally as some of the best in the country and we get the chance to practice on them. Jimmie Austin is a great layout as well. I believe that the Publinks will give us a lot of notoriety. Unlike a lot of collegiate practice venues, ours is right on campus making it very easy to swing by and practice anytime during the day. Having the opportunity to play tough golf course like the ones I have mentioned will only bode well for our players. The courses we play during our tournament stops are some of the great courses in the country and I believe that we should be tested, coming from such great golf courses ourselves.”
• SoonerSports.com : What is your scheduling philosophy?
Hybl: “We want to play in as good of tournaments as we can, that's the bottom line. Although the NCAA recently enacted the .500 rule, where you can't advance to regionals without defeating half of your opponents, we still want to compete against the best. Recruits take notice of the tournaments you are entering. They want to play against the best, on some of the best courses around the country, and as OU golfers they will be afforded that opportunity. Sure, there will be a possibility of some growing pains initially, but in the end our guys will grow from that. They need to be kicked around a bit to see what level they need to improve to in order to reach our goals.”
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