Brotherly Bond On Display At The Blessings

Relationships are paramount in college athletics. This is especially true for Dusty Smith and Charlie Ewing.

It all started in 2012 at Vanderbilt, where Ewing was a sophomore on the golf team. Smith was hired as the program's top assistant coach. Twelve years later, they are both making their own marks at Mississippi State as head coaches of the men's and women's golf teams.

This week in Fayetteville, Arkansas, both programs will compete side-by-side at The Blessings Intercollegiate. The camaraderie between these teams – a reflection of the bond their head coaches share – will be on full display for a national audience on the GOLF Channel.

"Charlie was playing my first year at Vanderbilt," Smith said. "I got to know him very well, walked a lot of rounds with him and loved being around him. He was a positive guy and a great teammate."

Following a coaching stint in Nashville that included three NCAA Championships match-play appearances and an SEC Championship in 2017, Smith came to Starkville to lead the Bulldogs. When considering who his assistant coach would be, he had only one name in mind: Charlie Ewing.

"When I got the job here, he was the first person I called," Smith said. "I didn't call anyone else."

Ewing was working as a car dealer in his home city of Dallas, following in the footsteps of his father. He had never thought of working in any other industry; however, he quickly found out that it was not meant for him.

When his former college coach called with an opportunity to join him at Mississippi State, he immediately said yes. He took the job and came to Starkville, sight unseen.

"When Dusty showed up my sophomore year of college, the relationship we built was a testament to the respect I grew for him," Ewing said. "Once I had graduated and seen what he continued to do as a coach and the opportunity he earned for himself at Mississippi State, I would have gone to Mars with him."

Smith and Ewing found immediate results, leading State to 10 top-five finishes with two tournament victories and two NCAA Tournament appearances in their first three seasons.

The success of the men's team sparked another opportunity for Ewing in Starkville as the head coach of the women's golf program.

Both teams share the same facility and the coaches' offices are right across the hall. They communicate daily, exchanging ideas and learning from each other, while reveling in each other's success.

Smith has built upon the foundation both coaches began on the men's side. Since 2020, the Bulldogs have compiled 19 top-five finishes with three team tournament wins and three additional NCAA Tournament appearances. State notched the program's first NCAA regional victory in 2023.

Ewing, meanwhile, has found unprecedented success with his program. In his first four seasons, the Bulldog women have put together six team wins – giving Ewing the most wins of any coach in program history – with two appearances in the SEC Championship match, including State's first conference title in 2024. He has led the Bulldogs to three-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the longest streak in program history.

Ewing's SEC title in 2024 was a special moment for his program, as well as his mentor.

"I am really proud of him and everything he has accomplished," Smith said. "We were playing in the Mossy Oak Collegiate, and I was following what they were doing on my phone while I was coaching. My whole family went straight to the airport after our tournament to congratulate them."

Both coaches are excited about their current squads as they head to The Blessings, where they each finished second last season. It is a unique event in which both programs compete. It serves as a special opportunity for the coaches to see their players so close together.

"They see each other every day around the facility but doing things like playing together and traveling together is totally different than just sharing a building," Ewing said. "Getting to see the players in an environment where they're around each other and supporting each other is a really cool thing."

In addition to the team and individual competitions, The Blessings features a best-ball competition between players from the men's and women's teams. Each men's player is paired with a women's player, and they count they best score between them on each hole to determine their pairing's scored and name a champion duo. The Bulldogs took home that crown in the 2022 edition of The Blessings.

"It's pretty cool how the guys and girls will keep track of who their partner is for the week and see if they can win the combined championship," Smith said.

The team aspect is further illustrated by the tee times. Instead of each individual playing with members of two other teams as usual, they go out in fivesomes – and they all play with their teammates.

"I like this tournament so much because our players get to experience what the coaches go through in a tournament," Smith said. "Usually, a player is off in his own world and not worried about what his teammates are doing, but you're playing with your team in this event. What each player does might affect the momentum of the entire team. I truly believe that this tournament is built off momentum, attitude and body language."

The stories of Smith and Ewing cannot be told without each other. Their paths crossed in Nashville, but they are blazing their own trails in Starkville.

"Charlie has done a tremendous job," Smith said. "He's younger than I am, but he's a mentor to me. If I'm not willing to learn from him, then I'm not doing my job. He did some tremendous things for me on the men's side. To see what he's done on the women's side is really special."

"For Dusty to give me the opportunity to coach the young men at that time, and that segued into being a women's coach, it was such an amazing opportunity," Ewing said. "To do it here at Mississippi State and become part of a new community I wasn't familiar with at the time, looking back on it, I'm nothing but grateful."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Brotherly Bond On Display At The Blessings

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