Many a vital putt Mike Grant has faced down in his career. Pressure? For sure, but nothing like what the Radford University golf coach may be facing soon.

"The hardest job at Radford University?" said Robert Lineburg, the athletic director. "That would be teaching me how to play golf. I'm the world's worst golfer and Mike's going to be teaching me.

"Of course, he may not know that yet."

Now that's pressure. Teach the boss how to shave strokes? Gulp.

Grant's the man for the job, though. As a golf educator, the 38-year-old former touring pro has built a substantial resume over his five years at Radford. Those skills were recognized early this week when he was announced as the Big South Conference men's coach of the year. His fellow coaches and the league's sports publicists voted on the selection, his first.

"It was a complete surprise," said Grant, who orchestrated the Highlanders to a second-place, regular-season finish and an 11-4 Big South record this season. "Usually, the coach who wins the conference is going to be the one who wins the award, and that's been Coastal Carolina lately."

Think it's tough to beat the Chanticleers on the course? Try to recruit against them. Coastal is slightly more than a well-struck 9-iron from Myrtle Beach, S.C.

"We're at the bottom of the pole usually, but that's because we're up here in the snow belt and they're down at the beach," Grant said.

Instead of moping about the weather, Grant has been wise with his time and gas money to recruit closer to home. Those forays have produced such terrific finds as Hampton Ballard from Giles and Nick Little from Crozet, both of whom earned all-conference honors this week. Little carded the best round of the recent conference tournament (Radford was third), a 69, and finished tied for sixth with teammate Chris Dillow, a junior who Grant went all the way to Bland to recruit.

"There are more great golfers coming out of this area every year, and a lot of them are overlooked," Grant said. "Guys have gotten to know me and know Radford and want to come here. That's been a big advantage for me."

Grant's local ties are extensive because he grew up in Radford, played for the high school Bobcats and went on to play at Virginia Commonwealth University. After a four-year playing career on the PGA, Nike and Canadian PGA tours, he's been a teaching pro in Lynchburg and at Thorn Spring in Pulaski.

"He's done a great job for Radford," Lineburg said. "He's patient, he's well organized, he's methodical. He's doing it while coaching men's and women's teams, too. Amazing."

Grant and Lineburg, a year older, go back a ways.

"We used to play kickball together in Hodge Park," said Lineburg, another Radford native.

Lineburg was a fine athlete (basketball and football) in his own right, but as far as golf went, his and Grant's paths diverged rather swiftly. Many obstacles to golfing competence he's faced as an adult, Lineburg said.

"I blame it all on Mike Dement."

Dement was a head basketball coach and Lineburg one of his assistants for 10 years, most recently at Southern Methodist University.

"He kept me working in the office until 11 every night," Lineburg said. "I never had time to play golf."

Grant's recruiting philosophy is to find players who not only have had the time for golf but also have made more time for it.

"I want guys who love to play," he said. "I look at that more than resume. I want guys who love it so much that you don't have to make them practice. That's the kind of players we have now."

Staying close to home again this year, Grant's bringing in a couple more Virginians for his next recruiting class. Mike Wade is coming from Floyd County, fresh off a state Group A team championship, and Westin Eklund from Charlottesville.

Wade gave a verbal commitment before having a big summer on the golf course last year, winning the Roanoke Valley Match Play and finishing strong in the nationally prominent Scott Robertson. After that, other colleges got more interested. Wade held firm, though.

"I really think he's going to be something special," Grant said. "Eklund's going to be a real solid golfer for us, too."

Grant has had to venture far afield for his recruiting for the women's team, Jade Okamoto coming from Huntington Beach, Calif., for next year, for example. The pool of potential women's recruits is much smaller than it is for the men, hence Grant's frequent flier travels.

Speaking of going national, Grant likes the potential in Radford golf.

"I think we will be able to compete nationally," he said. "It's just going to take some time. We have to get better every year and I think we can do that.

"The future is bright."

As for the future of the athletic director's game, that remains an open question.