JONESBORO, Ark. (9/3/21) – Easton Key, a two-year letterwinner and 2014 graduate of Arkansas State, has been named assistant coach, head men's golf coach Mike Hagen announced today.
 
"I'm excited to welcome Easton back to Jonesboro and Arkansas State University," said Hagen. "With his deep passion for Arkansas State and the high level of success he's had a head coach, he is truly going to be an asset to our men's golf program."
 
Key returns to Jonesboro with seven years of coaching experience, including the last four seasons as head coach at Delta State. He spent two seasons as a graduate assistant for the Red Wolves and one season at Omaha prior to taking the head coaching job at Delta State beginning with the 2017-18 season.
 
"Returning to my alma mater has been a dream of mine since I graduated six years ago, and I am incredibly excited to be a Red Wolf again," said Key. "Coaching under Coach Hagen previously brings a unique level of familiarity that will only further the program and continue the winning culture he has created. I'm excited for the opportunity to learn under a Hall of Fame coach like Coach Hagen and thrilled to be back 'home'."
 
In his four seasons with the Statesmen, Key guided the program to six tournament crowns, seven runner-up finishes and 19 top-five finishes in the 34 tournaments. Delta State finished runner-up at the 2017-18 Gulf South Conference Championship and went on to finish 11th at the NCAA Division II Golf Championship.
 
Key coached four All-Gulf South Conference selections including two-time GSC Men's Golf Low Medalist and All-American Zach Zediker. The only Division II players to be selected to the United State Arnold Palmer Cup team, Zediker also earned First Team PING All-Region honors in addition to the All-America accolades.
 
Spending one season at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Key helped direct the program's operations. He was charged with budgeting, recruiting, travel and practice planning, equipment acquisition and maintenance and on-course coaching.
 
Following his two-year stint as a player for the Red Wolves, Key spent two seasons as a graduate assistant. In Hagen's first season, A-State won a school-record six tournaments and improved its Golfstat national ranking from 199 to 80.
 
The Meridian, Miss., native helped lead the Red Wolves to three top-five finishes in 2014-15 and a pair of tournament championships in the fall of 2016.
 
He joined the A-State coaching staff after competing two seasons with the Red Wolves in 2012-13 and 2013-14, during which time he was named a 2013 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar.  He collected six top-10 finishes, including an individual title at the 2012 Bill Ross Intercollegiate.
 
He led or tied for the team-best season stroke average as both a junior and senior, posting a 75.2 average in 2014 and a 74.1 average in 2013.  Additionally, he helped lead A-State to the 2014 Red Wolves Intercollegiate championship.
 
Key transferred to A-State after competing two seasons at Meridian (Miss.)?Junior College, where he helped lead the Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 2010 NJCAA?National Championship.  Prior to his time at MJC, Key was a two-time all-state selection at Lamar High School while leading the program to five consecutive state championships.
 
Key earned his bachelor's degree in 2014 from Arkansas State University in psychology with an area of concentration in sport performance. He earned his master's degree in sports administration in the summer of 2016.