Tom Fitchie brings rich coaching experience to uncharted ground — Montgomery girls golf

“It’s not a comeback,” was the first thing Tom Fitchie said when he answered the phone. The legendary Montgomery High School boys basketball coach has come out of retirement to coach a new sport - girls golf.

Why Fitchie? And what does he know about golf?

“Well, I knew he had the time,” Montgomery athletic director Dean Haskins said jokingly. “I still think he has a lot of passion left in him and he has a lot of experience with coaching kids, even if it’s not on the golf course.”

One of the main reasons Fitchie came back to coach was to help Montgomery build back its women’s golf team. Montgomery was able to field only three golfers last season and had to forfeit all team matches. The girls could advance only as individuals.

“I’ve been involved with Montgomery High School for so many years and heard they couldn’t field a golf team. I felt like a school like Montgomery should be able to compete in all sports, so I had to help if I could,” said Fitchie.

Fitchie does not refer to himself as the coach, he considers himself as more of a “manager/organizer.” Fitchie modestly will admit he is not the most seasoned golfer, but he does have the aid of boys golf coach Jess Stimack and Bennett Valley Golf Course golf pro Jim Knego. Knego and Stimack help out with the techniques and game planning for the girls’ matches.

“He’s really learning quickly,” said Stimack. “They’re really all learning together.”

Fitchie says he uses instructional videos and books to learn better coaching methods for the girls. But his team-orientated coaching mentality will never change.

“His personality should always stay the same regardless of the sport because that’s what makes him great,” said former player and Fitchie’s basketball coaching protege Zac Tiedeman. “His passion and commitment to having things done as a team will really get the players to buy in. It’s great for the Montgomery community.”

Fitchie tends to lean on Jaxen Brazell, the reigning NBL golfer of the year, to do most of the coaching on the golf course during matches. “I don’t know if she knows this yet, but she’s like our player-coach,” said Fitchie.

Brazell, a two sport-athlete who will rejoin the Montgomery softball team in the spring, led the way for the Vikings last year and advanced all the way to the CIF state tournament.

Brazell knows Fitchie isn’t the biggest golf guy, but also knows his biggest strength as a coach is off the golf course.

“There was a lot of excitement with him coming back to coach. He is well known from basketball and being a substitute teacher,” said Brazell. “It’s good for the future of Montgomery golf having a lot of young players, and Fitchie has really helped bring them in.”

The excitement of Fitchie’s return and Brazell’s frenetic recruiting helped the Vikings fill a squad of nine girls for this golf season.

Brazell credits a majority of her golf knowledge to her father - they play together on a weekly basis - and her brother, a former golfer at Montgomery.

“My dad helps me make things not as serious and he’s always making sure I’m having fun,” said Brazell. “When it comes to golf, my dad helps me see the mental things I don’t see out there.”

Brazell now is trying to spread that knowledge among her Viking teammates.

“It’s just easy for the new players to approach me because coaches can be intimidating,” said Brazell.

Brazell has yet to see Fitchie actually play a round of golf out there on the course, but she is hoping to soon.

“I think there is maybe a chance I could beat him,” said Brazell.