Steve Mato
enters his second season as the men’s golf coach
at Madonna University in 2007-08. He became
just the second coach in the brief history of the Madonna
University men’s golf program.
In his first season with the men's golf team at
Madonna, Mato quickly established the program as
a contender at the conference level after
finishing second in the overall WHAC standings
in the fall of 2006. The Crusaders
finished just nine points behind eventual
conference champion Davenport following a
six-event season.
Mato also guided the Crusaders to their first
ever tournament title after MU won the fifth
WHAC jamboree of the fall 2006 season at Fellows
Creek Golf Club in Canton, Michigan.
In the spring of 2007, Mato again led the
Crusaders to another tournament championship as
Madonna celebrated following the Aquinas Spring
Invitational at L.E. Kaufman Golf Course in
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Mato comes to Madonna from Franklin High School (Livonia,
Michigan) where he has served as men’s varsity coach for the
past 14 seasons. In his time at Franklin, Mato guided has
produced several scholarship and mini-tour players and was
named the Coach of the Year in 2006.
"We are pleased to have coach Mato as a member of the
Madonna staff,” said Rizzo. “He has a wealth of coaching
experience and will be the right man to take our program to
the next phase of development. I feel very fortunate to get
someone with his credentials. He is going to be a great
addition.”
Mato, who holds a master's degree in Education and is a
Special Education teacher in the Livonia Public Schools
system has also spent the past 28 years as the Director of
Golf at Fellows Creek Golf Club in Canton.
Mato, and his wife Deborah have two children; Melissa and
Michael and reside in Livonia.
Mato's Coaching Accomplishments
- Guided the Crusaders to their first
ever tournament title in 2006
- Led Madonna to another tournament title in
2007
- He guided MU to a second place conference
finish in 2006