Named UTSA head men’s golf coach on Aug. 2, 2022, Matt Wernecke recently completed his fourth season at the helm of the program.
During his time in San Antonio, the Austin native has led the Roadrunners to 27 top-10 finishes, the 2026 Military City Collegiate team title, an NCAA postseason individual appearance and a trio of all-conference selections.
Off the course, UTSA has been named Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-Academic Team in each of Wernecke’s first three seasons at the helm, extending the program’s streak to seven straight years, while his student-athletes have combined to collect seven GCAA All-America Scholar awards and three College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selections. Additionally, UTSA has earned 13 conference all-academic team certificates during his tenure.
Wernecke (pronounced WER-neh-key) guided the Roadrunners to eight top-10 team finishes in his first season. UTSA placed sixth at The Clerico and posted a 7-under-par 857 to finish seventh at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate. The squad also ended up 5-under par (859) at the Trinity Forest Invitational for seventh place.
Individually, Hunter Bott and Christian Fanfelle were named to the All-Conference USA Third Team, while Brayden Bare landed on the C-USA All-Freshman Team. Bott, Fanfelle and David Harrison all were named GCAA All-America Scholars, while the Roadrunners were named a GCAA All-Academic Team. Additionally, Fanfelle earned a spot on the Conference USA All-Academic Team and Harrison was tabbed Academic All-District by College Sports Communicators and a 2023 CUSA Spring Spirit of Service Award recipient.
Wernecke's second season at the helm saw UTSA log seven top-10 team finishes, while Bott capped a stellar campaign with an NCAA postseason appearance. The Roadrunners placed in the top five four times, including a third-place showing at the Bentwater Invitational and a tie for fourth at the rain-shortened Dorado Beach Collegiate in Puerto Rice with a 24-under 552 (278-274).
Bott earned All-American Conference accolades and a spot in the NCAA Austin Regional in a senior season that saw him set (since broken) the program's single-season scoring average record with a 71.94 mark. He tied for 37th at the Austin Regional after carding a 4-over-par 217 and his 67 in the second round and 54-hole total both established school records for an NCAA event.
UTSA was chosen as a GCAA All-Academic Team, while Bott and Harrison landed on the CSC Academic All-District Team and were honored as GCAA All-America Scholars. Those two joined four other Roadrunners on the American’s All-Academic Team.
In his third season, Wernecke guided UTSA to four top-10 finishes highlighted by back-to-back fifth-place performances at the Vaqueros Intercollegiate and Desert Intercollegiate, the latter of which saw the Roadrunners register a 10-under 854 (281-286-287). UTSA capped the campaign by carding the program’s best 54-hole total versus par in a conference tournament with a 13-under 851 (288-280-283), which led to a share of sixth-place at the American Conference Championship.
In 2025-26, Wernecke’s Roadrunners logged eight top-10 team finishes headlined by capturing the Military City Collegiate title. UTSA also was the runner-up at the Golden Nugget Invitational after firing a program-record 38-under 826 (270-277-279). The Roadrunners registered a third-place showing at the Compadres Collegiate, as they tallied three top-five finishes during the campaign.
Individually, Joshua Hong broke Bott’s school record for single-season scoring average with a 71.73 mark, and he matched the school standards for low round versus par with an 8-under 64 and low 36-hole total versus par with a 10-under 134 (64-70), both at the Golden Nugget Invitational. Hong also claimed the individual crown at the Military City Collegiate, one of five top 10s during his true freshman campaign.
Wernecke came to San Antonio following a two-year stint as assistant men’s golf coach at Louisville, where he helped lead the Cardinals to back-to-back NCAA postseason appearances including a ninth-place finish at nationals in 2021.
A Texas high school coaching veteran of more than a decade, he helped guide Louisville to a pair of top-40 final rankings, while five Cardinals earned All-America Scholar accolades during his tenure.
In his first season at Louisville, he was key in guiding the Cardinals to the best finish NCAA finish in program history, tying for ninth place at the 2021 NCAA Championship. Louisville earned its spot in Scottsdale following a fourth-place finish at the Noblesville Regional, advancing to the final event for the fifth time in school history.
In 2021-22, Wernecke helped lead the Cardinals to the NCAA postseason yet again. Louisville finished seventh at the Norman Regional behind Chris Francoeur, who tied for 11th, and All-ACC performer Jiri Zuska, who placed 28th.
While at Louisville, he coached 2021 Palmer Cup member Matthias Schmidt and 2021 Walker Cup member John Murphy.
Prior to his time at Louisville, Wernecke spent 11 seasons as the head coach of the boys' and girls' golf programs at Vandegrift High School in Austin.
One of the most successful coaches in the state of Texas, he guided the Vandegrift boys program to 11 state championship appearances, winning three consecutive state championships in 2014-16. He was named the 2016 State Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Coaches. The Vipers also posted state runner-up finishes during the 2018 and 2019 campaigns, while also placing third in 2013 and 2016.
Collectively, his teams won 23 team championships and boasted 25 individual champions, while sending 18 players on to play collegiate golf including former Roadrunner Jack Wehman.
Wernecke guided the Vandegrift girls program to five state tournament appearances, earning runners-up honors in 2016 and a third-place finish in 2015. The Vipers won 24 team titles, recorded six individual champions and had 11 players continue their careers in collegiate golf.
Wernecke was a four-year letterwinner at Sam Houston, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2001.
He is married to Amy Willis. He has three daughters, Avery, Masyn and Evy.