Stetson University men's golf coach Larry Watson has announced the signing of Matt Cooper of Ponte Vedra Beach to the Hatters' program for the 2020-21 season.
 
Stetson will also add graduate transfer Nick Montes from Kent State University.
 
Cooper and Montes join fall signees Truman Keppy and Matthew Feste as newcomers to the Stetson program for the 2020-21 season.
 
Born in Ottowa, Ontario, Cooper comes from an athletic family. Both of his parents, Phil and Bev Cooper, were Division I athletes at Wichita State University. His mom was a member of the cross country and track teams for the Shockers while his dad was an All-American tennis player. His dad qualified to play in the NCAA Championship twice and was inducted into the Wichita State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.
 
Like his father, Matt enjoys playing tennis, but it is on the golf course where he excels. While attending ACS Egham International School in London, England, as a freshman and sophomore, he played on teams that won championships in Lisbon, Portugal (2015) and Barcelona, Spain (2016). He also helped his teams win titles in basketball and volleyball while in London.
 
He moved to Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep School in Faribault, Minnesota, for his junior and senior years. He competed on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour during that time, earning three top 10 finishes and five top 15 finishes. His best finish was a tie for fifth at the 2019 Chicago Junior Open.
 
An honor roll student, Cooper said he chose Stetson for many reasons.
 
"I chose Stetson because of the opportunity to play Division 1 Golf in Florida under Coach Watson, who I get on with really well," Cooper said. "Everything about the school, from the location and campus to its strong academics, really fit my needs and is exactly what I am looking for in a school."
 
Cooper is planning to major in Economics or Finance at Stetson.
 
Montes come to Stetson as a graduate transfer from Kent State University in Ohio where he was a member of the Golden Flash program since 2016. An honor roll and dean's list student, Montes received his undergraduate degree in Business Management and will be enrolled in Stetson's MBA program.
 
A native of Pickerington, Ohio, Montes and Hatters' captain Chris Williard grew up together and were two of the top prep players in the state. He was a four-time All-District selection at Pickerington High School and was an All-State pick as a senior. At KSU, Montes, a left-handed swinger and putter, had a 76.18 scoring average in 17 rounds of play over four seasons. He had a low collegiate round of 70 and his best finish was a tie for 13^th.
 
Montes is a second-generation collegiate golfer after his father, Tom, played at West Liberty University.
 
The four incoming players for the Stetson program will join with Williard, who returns for a fifth season after the 2020 campaign was cut short, along with Bradley Goldstein, Jon Lumley, Ryan Peters, Mason Quagliata and Benjamin Resnick.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.