(Rick Nordstrom working with Cinco Ranch golf/ Photo: Katy Times)
Bryan, Texas — August 16, 2016 – The Texas Junior Golf Tour and the Texas High School Golf Association have partnered to host this year’s first ever Texas State Junior Match Play Championship. The tournament is hosted at the Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas and played through August 15-17th. Traditions club is also the home of the championship Texas A&M Aggie golf teams. In 2011, Traditions Club hosted the NCAA Division I Women’s golf championship. The course has the perfect setup for golfers with precision accuracy and top notch short game.
Each year the Texas Junior Golf Tour and Texas High School Golf Association will honor two high school golf coaches at the event. One girls coach and one boys coach respectively. This year we have chosen to honor coach Rusty Herridge and coach Rick Nordstrom of. Here are their respective biographies:
Coach Rusty Herridge written by Eric Noski- head coach of the Woodlands High School
(Photo: Houston Chronicle)
When it comes to high school girls golf coaches, there’s only one name that first comes to mind, coach Rusty Herridge. During his tenure at Montgomery high school, coach Herridge led the Lady Bears to 11 State Championships. What most people don’t know, is that before the girls started their run, coach Herridge led the boys team to the schools first Golf State Championship in 1996. During my tenure on the golf team at Montgomery from 1992 – 1994, we won 3 district championships, 2 regional championships, and a 3rd & 4th place finish at the State Tournament. Coach Herridge was always great at getting the best out of every player who played for him. Coach Herridge firmly believed that hard work and practice led to success. Basically, if there was no lighting or the temperature was below 35°, we were going to practice and play. He used to always tell us that golf was a lot like life, there’s going to be ups and downs, but it’s how you handle yourself that would determine your outcome. I believe he has played a very important roll in my life as a coach, a mentor, and a friend.
When I first started coaching golf at the Woodlands high school, I was so excited that I was going to get the chance to see coach Herridge at tournaments and coach along side him. This lasted from 2004 – 2015, when coach Herridge retired. I was sad to see him retire, but he said it was time to move on. Even though he’s not organizing team practices, or driving a bus full of kids to a tournament anymore, he’s still around the game. Coach Herridge can be found these days out at Conroe Country Club, where he teamed up with his oldest son Ron, who heads up the Herridge golf school. He can still be seen teaching kids of all levels the basics along with the same great life lessons he taught us. I’ve always said that great coaches are not only measured by the number of championships in the wall, but by the impact they have on kids.
Coach Rick Nordstrom
Coach Rick Nordstrom coached in the Houston Area for the 31 years prior to his retirement in 2015. Rick coached Boys Basketball for 18 years prior to coaching Boys & Girls Golf for 13 years.
Rick started his Basketball career as a Varsity Assistant for 10 years under retired legends Larry Pitre, Dave Middleton and Bobby Knotts at Klein Forest and Dickinson High Schools, respectively. For the following 8 years, Coach Nordstrom was the Head Varsity Basketball Coach at Texas City High School. He averaged nearly 25 wins per season as a head coach. Once establishing his program, his Texas City Stingarees made it to the Regional Tournament in 4 of his last 6 years. During his final 3 years, the Stingarees were 90-11, won 3 District Championships, lost only 1 district game, and made it each year to the Regional Tournament. Coach Nordstrom has won over 15 Basketball Coach of the Year honors which included District, Galveston County, Bay Area, Gulf Coast, and TCISD Coach of the Year Awards. His teams took on his personality of playing extremely hard, being full of enthusiasm and showing good sportsmanship.
Coach Nordstrom’s passion for golf led to his retirement from basketball in 2002. He was the Head Boys & Girls Golf Coach at Cinco Ranch High School in Katy for 13 years. He took his teams to the Regional Golf Tournament each of those years and took golfers to the State Tournament for 6 years including his Boys Varsity 4 straight years and Girls Varsity 5 straight years from 2011-2015. He was honored in 2010-2011 as Katy ISD’s Boys Sports Coach of the Year and has served on the Texas H.S. Coaches Association Advisory Golf Committee directed the Greater Houston Area Basketball Coaches Association Scholarship Golf Tournament, served as the Tournament Director for the 5A Region III H.S. Boys Basketball Tournament and continues to run the 6A Region III H.S. Golf Tournament. Rick has been actively involved with the Texas Jr. Golf Tour and the Beltway Jr. Golf Tour during his time as a golf coach and into retirement. Currently, he is a Sales Consultant for USA Fundraisers for Jr. and Sr. Classes.
Originally from Lake Jackson, he played basketball for Coach Dave Middleton at Brazoswood High School on a district championship team in 1978. He graduated from and played college basketball at Midland Lutheran College in Nebraska.
Coach Nordstrom has been married for 16 years to wife, Debbie, who directs Dance Team Competitions for Champion Dance & is a Dance Team Consultant for USA Fundraisers. Daughter, Nikki, recently graduated from Texas State University. His hobbies include golf and announcing Varsity Football games for Cinco Ranch H.S. He is a member of Houston Northwest Church in Cypress.
“We couldn’t be more proud to partner with Texas High School Golf and the coaches associations around the state,” said TJGT President Dave Jones. Our relationship with Texas High School golf in all aspects, financial and operational support, is second to none. The TJGT recognizes the valuable contribution that high school golf coaches and their teams play in growing the game of golf not only in the USA but in Texas. The TJGT’s respect, loyalty and partnership with Texas High School Golf and its outstanding coaches across the state will always remain strong.I can assure you where other traditional golf organizations have frowned upon the professionalism and golf knowledge of the high school golf coach, the TJGT will always honor and respect their contributions.”
“These are the reasons why the TJGT has partnered with the Texas Association of Golf Coaches to bring you the annual Texas State Match Play Championship at a premier collegiate venue in Texas. We are truly honored to highlight the careers of Coach Rusty Herridge and Rick Nordstrom. We salute Coach Herridge and Coach Nordstrom!”