After Team USA’s disastrous home Ryder Cup loss, the search for a new captain has begun.
Fans and media have put forward plenty of names, but the ones mentioned by Phil Mickelson were a surprise. The six-time major winner thinks Team USA should turn to college football or basketball for their next captain.
He posted on X: “Here is why looking outside of golf to a coach K or Lou Holtz is worth exploring. Golf is an individual sport that doesn’t have team work, support system, partnership, team analytics, personality traits, and more.
Mickelson added: “The Europeans have a template that teaches and prepares their captains for these skills. U.S. has a new template every 2 years with little continuity. If a coach K or Lou Holtz or someone similar took over, would it be built upon or would it be scrapped and start over again afterwards? If that’s the case, it would be a waste of time and effort and not worth doing to begin with.”
Desperate times call for desperate measures, but that seems a little extreme! Dan Rapaport disagrees vehemently but gave a clever alternative along the same lines.
Dan Rapaport offers his own take on Phil Mickelson’s bold suggestion
Mickelson has a point about the need for a full reset. The gap between Team USA and Team Europe isn’t just about results – it’s about how each side operates behind the scenes, too.
But turning to college coaches from outside golf, like Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) or Lou Holtz, doesn’t seem like the answer. Instead, Rapaport took inspiration from Mickelson’s idea and put his own twist on it.
Speaking on Dan on Golf, he said: “I am so against the next captain of the US Ryder Cup team being someone from completely outside of golf. We should be, in some respects, looking at Europe as a model. What do they do so well?
“Has Europe ever had a captain who has never played professional golf before? After they lost at Whistling Straits, did they make Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola the captain? No. They went with a former professional golfer. I understand the desire to go big when something like this happens when you lose a Ryder Cup at home.
“But it reminds me of when the [Cleveland] Browns were going to interview Condoleezza Rice to be their head coach. I don’t think that is the answer at all.”
Rapaport believes that instead of looking outside of golf entirely, Team USA should tap into college golf, where coaches are already managing team dynamics within an individual sport.
He explained: “These coaches have roles that are more similar to what’s needed in a Ryder Cup setting than people might realise because they’re not focused on swing mechanics – their job is to build unity and create an environment where players can thrive as part of a group.”
Dan Rapaport thinks Tiger Woods will be the next Ryder Cup captain
Even with other ideas being discussed, Rapaport still believes Team USA will end up turning to Tiger Woods to lead them in Ireland. Woods has already turned down the role for 2025, but his name hasn’t gone away.
This time around, he seems like the clear front-runner. His connections run deep, including ties with Adare Manor owner JP McManus, and he’s got the presence to bring a group together.
But it’s worth noting that his Ryder Cup record isn’t exactly glowing – just one win from eight appearances. That’s why Rapaport thinks there’s room for a fresh approach when it comes to picking vice-captains.
He explained: “I think it will be Tiger Woods. They are not going to give the captaincy to someone you have never heard of before or completely off the radar.”
“But I think a captaincy team with Tiger Woods at the helm [with help, would be good].”
The depth of Europe’s setup is something often overlooked – there are layers of support behind Donald working year-round to give players every possible edge.
READ MORE: Gary Player says amateur golfers need to remove three clubs from their bags right now
If Team USA wants to match that structure, looking towards college golf might help them build a more robust backroom team around their next captain. They’ll need every advantage they can get if they hope to reclaim the Ryder Cup on European soil.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
