Born and raised in Bainbridge, Jay Moseley will be taking what he learned in South Georgia and bringing it to the Ohio State golf team.

Moseley was named the Buckeyes’ head golf coach Thursday. The job follows a six-year coaching stint at Kennesaw State University.

“Obviously it was pretty humbling just to be considered for the position,” Moseley said. “When I did get the call, it was just a tremendous blessing, both personally and professionally. My family and I are very excited to move up to Buckeye nation, in a place that has so much rich tradition and history.”

Prior to Moseley’s arrival at Kennesaw, the Owls had never reached postseason play. While there, the Bainbridge-native coached the Owls to five consecutive NCAA Regional appearances and steered the team to the 2011 NCAA Championship in just his second season.

Now Moseley, his wife, Kelly, and their month-old son, James Brown Moseley, III, are packing up move to one of the largest universities in the U.S.

“The thing that really impressed me the most were the people, the leadership with the Athletic Director,” Moseley said. “There are some incredible people in place up there. Ohio State has incredible resources, from the facilities to the golf course on campus, and the ability to recruit anywhere in the world.”

Not to mention Jack Nicklaus, 18-time major winner, golf legend and Moseley’s favorite player of all time, graduated from Ohio State.

But regardless of where he has traveled as a golfer, he said he would always consider Bainbridge home, the place that made him who he is.

“Everything I learned from my parents and the people in the golf community had a big influence on me as a young person,” Moseley said. “I looked up to a lot of my teachers and coaches from school down there. They helped shape me into who I became as a young man. It was a special place for me to grow up and learn some great life lessons.”

Moseley uses those same lessons when coaching his own players, and it’s clear his teachings pay off well. His program at Kennesaw corralled NCAA Multi-Year APR Special Recognition with a perfect score of 1000. The Owls maintained a team GPA above 3.0 all six years of Moseley’s tenure and exceeded 3.5 in both 2012 and 2013 to garner GCAA President’s Special Recognition Academic Awards. In six conference tournaments, Kennesaw State finished no worse than third place en route to three runner-up efforts and the first Atlantic Sun conference crown (2011) in team history.

Success in all aspects of life, in the classroom and on the course, is what Moseley instills in his players.

“I just try to get them to put their best foot forward,” Moseley said.

“He is a proven leader and educator,” said Martin Jarmond, Ohio State’s executive associate athletics director and men’s golf administrator. “I have no doubt that Jay will develop our young men academically, athletically and socially while competing for championships as our men’s golf coach.”

Prior to taking over the Kennesaw State program as a 24-year old, Moseley spent six years at Auburn University. The four-year letterwinner and three-year captain played for the

Tigers from 2004-08 before serving as a graduate assistant for the 2008-09 season.

Moseley competed in 42 events during his career and still holds the all-time Auburn record for lowest 36-hole score (132, -12) at the 2006 John Burns Intercollegiate. His 14-under 202 54-hole total in the event was also an all-time mark at the time and is currently ranked third in Tiger lore.

Moseley became the first-ever golfer to win the prestigious Cliff Hare Award, presented annually to an Auburn student-athlete who excels in athletic and scholarship achievement as well as showing a great degree of leadership, integrity and courage. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in higher education administration with a sports management minor.