Coach Andre Springs is a native of Charlotte, N.C. Coach Springs began his collegiate journey at Fayetteville State University (FSU) in 1975, making history as the first freshman to win the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) Golf Championship. That same year, he was named FSU’s Most Outstanding Freshman and honored as both a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American and a member of the All-CIAA Tournament Team.
As FSU’s Most Valuable Player for three consecutive years, Springs played a pivotal role in leading his team to four straight CIAA team golf championships. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Fayetteville State University in 1979. Springs was the first golfer inducted into FSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990, and his 1975–1976 FSU golf team was inducted in 2023.
Springs became head coach of the Livingstone College men’s golf program in 1979, serving in that role for over 25 years. Under his leadership, the team secured eight CIAA Golf Championships, three National Minority Golf Championships, and made six NCAA appearances. The team also earned the CIAA Conference Academic Award in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020. Coach Springs was named CIAA Golf Coach of the Year in 1986, 1987, 2015, 2022, and 2025. His 1989 men’s golf team was inducted into the Livingstone College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012, followed by the 2015 team’s induction into the African American Golfers Hall of Fame in 2023.
In 1987, Springs founded a minority youth golf clinic designed to help young players develop their skills and prepare for competitive play at the local and national levels. In 1988, he left Livingstone to become the first Black general manager of Highland Park Golf Club in Cleveland, Ohio, serving until 1992.
In 2000, Springs broke new ground again as the first Black golf teaching professional at Birkdale Golf Club—an Arnold Palmer-designed course. He had the distinct honor of caddying for Mr. Palmer during Birkdale’s grand opening tournament. He later served as the inaugural director of The First Tee of Lake Norman (Huntersville, N.C.), founded by PGA professional Walter Morgan in 2003.
Springs returned to Livingstone College in 2010 to revitalize the golf program and took the role of Assistant Athletic Director for Fundraising. In 2012, he was appointed Athletic Director by President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins. During his tenure, the men’s basketball team won the CIAA Championship twice—the first such victories in school history. Springs retired as Athletic Director in 2019 but continues to serve as head men’s golf coach and appointed as Special Assistant to President Dr Anthony Davis for External Affairs in 2023.
In addition to his inductions into the FSU and Livingstone College Athletic Halls of Fame, Coach Springs has been honored by numerous organizations, including the CIAA Hall of Fame, the African American Golfers Hall of Fame, the National Black Golf Hall of Fame, Mecklenburg County Sports Wall of Fame, and HBCU Legends (NC).
Coach Springs is a member of the United States Golf Teachers Federation, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, Inc., and the Par Busters Golf Group. He resides in Charlotte with his wife, Joy Paige Springs, and is the proud father of three sons and grandfather to five grandchildren.
