John Patrick “J.P.” Thornton began his tenure as Assistant Golf Coach at Prairie View A&M University in October 2025.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Thornton is a graduate of Texas Southern University, where he earned a degree in Business Marketing and built an accomplished collegiate career. His amateur highlights include being selected as a Tiger Woods Foundation National Golf Team member, winning two MIAA Memphis City High School Championships, earning medalist honors at the USGA Amateur Public Links Sectional, and recording one of only five hole-in-ones in the history of the USGA Amateur Public Links Championship.
Thornton earned five collegiate victories, was a two-time SWAC All-Conference selection, and served as captain of the 2007 SWAC Championship team. His professional career includes extensive competition on the APGA Tour, highlighted by a victory at TPC Sugarloaf, multiple top-five finishes, a career-low round of 64, and participation in premier events such as the John Shippen Invitational. He has also Monday-qualified for the PGA Nationwide Tour, was featured on PGA Tour Original’s Trailblazers series, and made history as the first African American to make the cut in the Tennessee State Open Championship.
Prior to joining PVAMU, Thornton worked throughout the golf industry as a teaching professional with GolfTEC and Topgolf and caddied on the PGA Tour for several professionals. Since his arrival, the Prairie View A&M women’s golf team has won the TSU Tiger Fall Classic and the SWAC Fall Tournament, while the men’s team captured the SWAC Fall Tournament.
