Men's Golf
Matt Hoffman
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Matt Hoffman enters his seventh season with the University of Michigan men's golf program, serving as associate head coach under head coach Zach Barlow. A former Illinois teammate of Barlow, Hoffman brings a unique blend of playing experience, biomechanics expertise, and instructional knowledge to Ann Arbor.
Leveraging his extensive background in kinesiology and exercise science, Hoffman designs technically driven performance plans for U-M student-athletes, applying key principles in biomechanics and movement efficiency. A Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Certified Instructor, he has also completed advanced training through the High-Performance Golf Academy, helping Wolverines maximize both strength and swing dynamics.
Since joining the Michigan staff in 2018, Hoffman has played an integral role in the Wolverines' rise within the Big Ten and nationally. Over the past four seasons, Michigan has recorded 25 top-five finishes in 47 events, highlighted by five team titles: 2022 Desert Mountain Intercollegiate, 2023 Big Ten Match Play Championship, 2023 Island Resort Intercollegiate and 2023 and 2024 Virtues Intercollegiate. The Wolverines have also collected five runner-up finishes during that span.
Michigan's 2023 Big Ten Match Play title marked one of the program's most impressive runs -- entering as the No. 8 seed, U-M defeated Iowa, Michigan State, Indiana, and top-seeded Northwestern to capture its second championship. Hunter Thomson went a perfect 4-0 to lead the charge, matching Patrick Sullivan's 4-0 mark from 2020.
Under Barlow and Hoffman's guidance, Michigan players have earned nine individual medalist honors since 2019. Headlining the list, Hunter Thomson has collected four career victories, including the 2024 Palmas del Mar Collegiate, Canadian Collegiate Invitational, Boilermaker Invitational, and NCAA Urbana Regional — becoming U-M's third NCAA regional medalist.
In Big Ten competition, Brent Ito earned 2020 second-team honors, while Thomson has been a two-time unanimous first-team selection (2024, 2025) and owns a program-record eight Big Ten Golfer of the Week awards.
Michigan's success has extended into the classroom as well, with the program earning 33 Academic All-Big Ten honors, nine Big Ten Distinguished Scholar awards, and 12 GCAA All-America Scholar selections over the past four years.
Before arriving in Ann Arbor, Hoffman spent two seasons (2017-19) as an assistant coach at Humber College in Toronto, helping lead one of Canada's premier programs to back-to-back Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) titles and a 2019 CCAA national runner-up finish.
He also served as an instructor at the TOUR Performance Golf Academy in Milton, Ontario, coaching elite junior and professional players, and directing junior development camps at Pipers Heath. Hoffman is fluent in TrackMan technology and has been mentored by some of the game's top teachers.
Prior to coaching, Hoffman spent six years competing professionally, including three seasons (2011-13) on PGA Tour Canada, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2011. He also competed on several U.S. mini-tours, including the Hooters, Great Lakes, and Dream Chasers tours, and made multiple appearances at WEB.com and PGA Tour qualifying schools.
At Illinois (2005-09), Hoffman helped the Illini capture back-to-back Big Ten Championships and advance to consecutive NCAA Finals. He played 113 career rounds (74.61 average), earned medalist honors at the 2008 Fighting Illini Spring Invitational, and shot a career-low 65 at the Windon Memorial Classic. A 2009 PING All-Midwest Region honoree, he received the Kevin Fairfield Memorial Spirit Award in 2010. He earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Illinois in 2010.
In the summer of 2024, Hoffman married Priscilla (Barletta), an assistant coach with Michigan's swimming and diving program. The couple welcomed their first child in July 2025.
Â
* In 2020, the final three spring events and Big Ten/NCAA postseason were canceled due to COVID-19
[1] Hunter Thomson was invited to the 2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional as an individual (tied for 27th))
[2] Hunter Thomson won the 2025 NCAA Urbana Regional to advance to the NCAA Finals
[3] Hunter Thomson played at the 2025 NCAA Finals
Â
Leveraging his extensive background in kinesiology and exercise science, Hoffman designs technically driven performance plans for U-M student-athletes, applying key principles in biomechanics and movement efficiency. A Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Certified Instructor, he has also completed advanced training through the High-Performance Golf Academy, helping Wolverines maximize both strength and swing dynamics.
Since joining the Michigan staff in 2018, Hoffman has played an integral role in the Wolverines' rise within the Big Ten and nationally. Over the past four seasons, Michigan has recorded 25 top-five finishes in 47 events, highlighted by five team titles: 2022 Desert Mountain Intercollegiate, 2023 Big Ten Match Play Championship, 2023 Island Resort Intercollegiate and 2023 and 2024 Virtues Intercollegiate. The Wolverines have also collected five runner-up finishes during that span.
Michigan's 2023 Big Ten Match Play title marked one of the program's most impressive runs -- entering as the No. 8 seed, U-M defeated Iowa, Michigan State, Indiana, and top-seeded Northwestern to capture its second championship. Hunter Thomson went a perfect 4-0 to lead the charge, matching Patrick Sullivan's 4-0 mark from 2020.
Under Barlow and Hoffman's guidance, Michigan players have earned nine individual medalist honors since 2019. Headlining the list, Hunter Thomson has collected four career victories, including the 2024 Palmas del Mar Collegiate, Canadian Collegiate Invitational, Boilermaker Invitational, and NCAA Urbana Regional — becoming U-M's third NCAA regional medalist.
In Big Ten competition, Brent Ito earned 2020 second-team honors, while Thomson has been a two-time unanimous first-team selection (2024, 2025) and owns a program-record eight Big Ten Golfer of the Week awards.
Michigan's success has extended into the classroom as well, with the program earning 33 Academic All-Big Ten honors, nine Big Ten Distinguished Scholar awards, and 12 GCAA All-America Scholar selections over the past four years.
Before arriving in Ann Arbor, Hoffman spent two seasons (2017-19) as an assistant coach at Humber College in Toronto, helping lead one of Canada's premier programs to back-to-back Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) titles and a 2019 CCAA national runner-up finish.
He also served as an instructor at the TOUR Performance Golf Academy in Milton, Ontario, coaching elite junior and professional players, and directing junior development camps at Pipers Heath. Hoffman is fluent in TrackMan technology and has been mentored by some of the game's top teachers.
Prior to coaching, Hoffman spent six years competing professionally, including three seasons (2011-13) on PGA Tour Canada, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2011. He also competed on several U.S. mini-tours, including the Hooters, Great Lakes, and Dream Chasers tours, and made multiple appearances at WEB.com and PGA Tour qualifying schools.
At Illinois (2005-09), Hoffman helped the Illini capture back-to-back Big Ten Championships and advance to consecutive NCAA Finals. He played 113 career rounds (74.61 average), earned medalist honors at the 2008 Fighting Illini Spring Invitational, and shot a career-low 65 at the Windon Memorial Classic. A 2009 PING All-Midwest Region honoree, he received the Kevin Fairfield Memorial Spirit Award in 2010. He earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Illinois in 2010.
In the summer of 2024, Hoffman married Priscilla (Barletta), an assistant coach with Michigan's swimming and diving program. The couple welcomed their first child in July 2025.
Â
The Matt Hoffman File
Born: March 30, 1987
Hometown: Thornhill, Ontario
High School: St. Robert Catholic High School, 2005
College: University of Illinois, 2010
Degree: Kinesiology
Family: Priscilla | Children:Â
Coaching Record
| Year | College | Position | Conference | NCAA Regional | NCAA Finals |
| 2017-18  | Humber College   | Assistant Coach | 1st (OCAA) | -- | 3rd (CCAA) |
| 2018-19 | Humber College | Assistant Coach | 1st (OCAA) | -- | 2nd (CCAA) |
| 2019-20 | Michigan  | Assistant Coach  | canceled* | canceled* | canceled* |
| 2020-21 | Michigan | Assistant Coach | 13th | -- | -- |
| 2021-22 | Michigan | Assistant Coach | 13th | -- | -- |
| 2022-23 | Michigan | Assistant Coach | 13th | -- | -- |
| 2023-24 | Michigan | Assistant Coach | t-10th | [1] individual | -- |
| 2024-25 | Michigan | Assistant Coach | 15th | [2] individual | [3] individual |
| 2025-26 | Michigan | Associate Head Coach |
* In 2020, the final three spring events and Big Ten/NCAA postseason were canceled due to COVID-19
[1] Hunter Thomson was invited to the 2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional as an individual (tied for 27th))
[2] Hunter Thomson won the 2025 NCAA Urbana Regional to advance to the NCAA Finals
[3] Hunter Thomson played at the 2025 NCAA Finals
Â
2025 Hall of Honor: Lion Kim
Saturday, October 18
Steady Thomson Excited for Individual NCAA Regional Appearance
Friday, May 10
Men's Golfer Sullivan Wins Michigan Amateur Title
Tuesday, June 29
Short-Game Area Renovation Adds New Dimension to Golf Program's Practice Facility
Thursday, October 01
