John Karpowicz took over the helm as Head Coach of the Women's and Men’s Golf teams in January 2025.

With more than 30 years of coaching experience across various sports, Karpowicz arrives at Kish having coached at youth, high school and collegiate levels. Former coaching stops include Benedictine University, Driscoll Catholic High School (Addison) and Glenbard West High School, where he has worked for the past 26 years. While he has coached football, baseball, and track and field, Karpowicz recently pivoted his focus to golf as the head coach of the Glenbard West girl’s team. Karpowicz plans on retiring from Glenbard West this spring and saw Kish’s program as an option to stay connected to the game.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity and am interested in seeing what we can build and create here. We have students looking to play at four-year schools, and I want to help them learn, develop and reach their goals.” Karpowicz also believes the goal is to continue adding local talent to the Kish roster as the program builds on past success. In recent years, the men’s and women’s programs have had individual qualifiers for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship, and the women’s team placed 15th in the nation for the 2021-2022 season.

“We will focus on recruiting and let people know that Kishwaukee College is on the map and a viable option for people looking to play golf at the collegiate level. Kish is a quality, affordable option for anyone looking to advance their game,” Karpowicz said. With a focus on player development, Karpowicz also stressed the importance of academics for Kish student-athletes. “It’s important to teach these student-athletes to manage their time and schedules. Success in the classroom is paramount. If they want to continue playing golf at a four-year school, they will need the grades. The better grades they get, the more opportunities they will have after Kish,” Karpowicz said.