Adelphi Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation Danny McCabe tabbed David Mattana to lead the University's men's golf team on Aug. 30, 2021.
A former high-level competitive golfer for thirty years, Mattana came to Adelphi from Nassau Community College, where he spent two seasons as the program's head coach, following two years in an assistant role.
In the 2022-2023 campaign, Mattana led the Adelphi Men's Golf program to one of its best seasons in the last decade. Getting off on the right foot, the Panthers achieved their best two-day team score since 2012 with a 574. Rounding out the fall season, the 'Cats notched their first team victory since March 2014, when they tied for first at the Saint Rose Fall Invitational.
The spring season further capitalized on the momentum Adelphi was building. Starting out the spring season was the Yellow Jacket Invitational at AIC, where the program lost to Dominican by just one stroke. Two weeks later, the Panthers dominated at the Long Island Collegiate Championships, winning the tournament by nearly 70 strokes. The 'Cats later earned their first NCAA Regionals berth for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Additionally, Mattana coached Adelphi's first group of All-Conference golfers since 2014 (Alec Ramos and Filip Wetterqvist.) Ramos and Mason Rivera were additionally named CSC Academic All-District At-Large Team members.
During the 2023-24 campaign, Mattana led the program to even greater heights. For the first time since 2013, men's golf won the Northeast-10 Conference Championship in October, with three golfers finishing inside the top six. The team finished five strokes ahead of second place Assumption, clinching an automatic bid to the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional for the second consecutive year.
Tough outings defined the team throughout the year. Both the Metropolitan Championship in October hosted by Wagner College and the Shark Shootout in April hosted by Long Island University were tournaments held with mostly Division I competition. This aided golfers like Filip Wetterqvist, who earned a bid to the NCAA Division II National Championships in Winter Garden, Fla. due to his fourth place finish in the Regional held in Wheeling, W.Va.. Wetterqvist would later tie for 12th at the championships, shooting three-under 210.
In addition, Mattana won NE10 Coach of the Year in 2024, the first coach since Janzten Vargas in 2014 to win the award. Four student-athletes were also respectively named to All-Conference teams, with Wetterqvist and Alec Ramos getting First Team recognition.
In Mattana's third campaign, Adelphi continued to sustain success. The fall was highlighted by a runner up bid in the NE10 Championship as freshman Mitchell Archer broke out onto the scene, tying for first on the weekend. Francis Lanuza finished in a tie for third. After a third place finish at Adelphi's very own Panther Invitational, the Cats placed first at the Farmingdale Tournament. Archer, Lanuza and Johnny Solari all placed in the top 10, closing out the fall with a team victory.
Following the Kieser Invitational to open up the spring, the Panthers won back to back tournaments. Lanuza and Archer tag teamed the top of the leader board at the Saint Anselm Florida Invitational, before Solari led the way at the Charger Challenge.
For the second year in a row under Mattana, Adelphi qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The Cats placed ninth at the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional. Solari shined, shooting 75 or under in all three rounds. Solari qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships where he went on to place 72nd.
In his inaugural year coaching Nassau, Mattana guided the Lions to an NJCAA Region XV Championship and a 10th-place finish at the NJCAA National Championships. He mentored Conor Maloney to All-America honors and earned NJCAA Region XV Coach of the Year status in the process. Mattana also successfully raised over $30,000 for the program in the 2018-19 academic year.
He arranged access for the team to play at many of Long Island's top golf clubs and with several top teaching pros and took Nassau overseas to Scotland, where they played at the famed Carnoustie Golf Links and St. Andrew's Old Course -- both of which have served as sites for the world-renowned Open Championship.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dave Mattana to Adelphi. His experience as a coach and involvement in the local golf community will allow him to provide a great student-athlete experience to our golfers," McCabe said. "Dave shares in our ideals of allowing college athletics to help prepare students for life after college. Please join us in welcoming him to the Panther family!"
Mattana currently serves as President of the Long Island Golf Association and as a member of the Executive Board of the Metropolitan Golf Association. He caddied at the 2016 Shell Houston Open and -- most recently -- qualified for the Met Senior Open and finished 24th in the New York State Men's Senior Amateur Championship.
"I am delighted to be joining the outstanding students, faculty, and staff who make up the Adelphi family, and look forward to working with all of them to return Adelphi golf to prominence," Mattana remarked. "The current group of Adelphi golfers exude a passion for golf, and for the Adelphi program, which makes their eventual success inevitable."
Before joining the coaching ranks, Mattana spent time as a practicing attorney and over 20 years as an oil futures trader at the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Mattana, who holds a 3 handicap, graduated with his bachelor's degree from Ithaca College in 1983 and received his juris doctor with distinction from the Hofstra University School of Law in 1986.
