After 36-plus years, Coach Ed Karpovich ‘76, G’86, retired as Lackawanna County Treasurer on Jan. 1, 2024, to “start smelling the roses” and spend time in Clarks Summit with his family: wife Linda, sons Edward and Michael, daughter-in-law Christine, grandchildren Ellen, 10, and Max, 8, and brother Gene.
Thankfully for Royal golfers, that plan includes his second “family” at the University, where he has the longest active tenure among all coaches. Coach Karpovich completed his 42nd season with the Royals golf programs in 2023-24, achieving his 400th career victory with the men’s golf team.
In an interview with The Scranton Journal, Coach Karpovich discusses his coaching philosophy and how he prepares Royal golfers to compete at a high level.
Coach, you’ve had an incredible career thus far and have been recognized as the 2021 recipient of the University’s Peter A. Carlesimo Award, which honors a person who has made special contributions to athletics and Catholic education. When did you first become interested in golf, and how did that lead you to your current role at Scranton?
When I was 11 or 12, I began caddying at the Glen Oak Country Club in Waverly. I was playing baseball at that time and was a decent player. When I was watching these guys play golf — and a lot of them were not that good — I said to myself, ‘How is this that hard?” I could hit a baseball going 70 miles an hour, curving. For these guys, the ball’s just sitting there. How could they not hit the ball when it’s not even moving? Very shortly after that, I started playing golf. If you have that kind of attitude, a lot of times you will do better, because you’re not negative out there.
I was born and raised in Throop and went to Bishop Hannon High School, so I was leaning toward a Catholic institution for college. The academic reputation of Scranton attracted me, plus the fact that in 1972 when I graduated high school, the University was Division II, and they were allowed to give athletic scholarships. I was fortunate enough to get a golf scholarship. That was a big deal because otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have been able to go to college. My father was a coal miner with little education. He was one of 13 and when his father died young, he had to quit school in eighth grade and go to work.
You have led the Royals to two consecutive Landmark Conference titles, one in 2023 and one in 2024. How do you prepare your players to compete at such a high level?
Preparing for our conference championship in spring is very challenging because we are the northernmost school in the conference, and our championship is held on the last weekend of April. Schools like Catholic (University of America), Goucher (College) and just about every other school are able to get on a golf course to practice much earlier than we are.
During the winter, we hit many golf balls in our simulator. We have a net and a local course, Pine Hills, which will open as long as there’s no snow on the ground. We go there during winter months whenever we can. The simulator tells you how far you’ve hit the ball, your swing speed, launch angle and high-tech stuff. But there’s nothing like being outside.
Congratulations on becoming the first coach in program history with 402 wins. You have experienced tremendous success with the Royals, including a 61-match win streak between 2017 and 2022. To what do you attribute this sustained level of excellence?
I recruit top-level golfers from high schools in multiple states. These students are never satisfied with their game and are always looking to improve. We motivate ourselves by our prior success. I tell my players, ‘Winners win.’ Having so much success over the years motivates my team to stay at that high level of competitiveness.
You’ve coached many standouts, including two who’ve competed in the NCAA Division III championships. What do you look for in a player?
I look for a certain degree of talent, someone eager to learn, and most importantly, someone who puts the well-being of the team first. We pride ourselves on being more than a team because we are a family. The camaraderie is second to none.
Your teams have experienced exceptional seasons, including the 2013 campaign when the Royals went 12-0 and won invitational titles. What were the keys to that undefeated season?
The dedication and the hard work of my players. As all my teams do, they had a great work ethic. They were always concerned more about the team than they were about themselves. Plus, they were all very good players but never satisfied, always looking to get better. They always listened hard and paid attention when I offered my advice.
They were also great friends. I get invited to their weddings, tons of weddings, and all their teammates from college are there. That makes me feel so good. To me, that’s more important than every trophy I have in that trophy case — making lifelong friends or helping them make lifelong friends. I’m prouder of that than any conference championship I’ve ever won. That is what matters.
With over four decades of experience, how have you seen college golf evolve, especially at the Division III level?
The most significant change is technology; the equipment and golf balls have brought the sport to a new level.
How has your coaching philosophy adapted to those particular shifts?
We play in more tournaments now rather than matches during the regular season. Most schools, especially local schools, play in matches with just one school against another. I get in a lot of highly competitive tournaments where there are 12 to 20 teams in one event. We see where we stand. If you think you’re good, well, suddenly, ‘Oh, we’re not that good,’ then we get a little bit better.
Is there anything I haven’t asked about that you would like to mention?
We have a lot of excellent sports teams, from basketball to baseball to soccer to golf, all over the board, and there’s got to be a reason for that. Our Executive Director of Athletics Dave Martin supports every single sport; he does not play favorites. The most important sport to him is the sport you coach, and the most important players are the players on your team.
My longevity here, coaching, especially at my age, I owe largely to him. He’s not only a colleague; he’s a friend who I trust and admire.
