For Tony Joy, Jr., it seems like a good portion of his adult life has been of service to Youngstown State University. Deep down, he would have it no other way!
Born on August 21, 1951, he graduated in1969 from Howland High School where he was a four-year letterman in golf. Upon completion of his scholastic career, he chose to attend Louisiana State University, opting for the warm climate and a chance to play golf year round.
When he realized he wanted to return to where his roots were, it was a quick phone call to Head Coach Bill Carson at Youngstown State and in the spring of 1970, Joy became a Penguin. In fact, he's been a Penguin ever since!
He's the first to downplay any of his accomplishments while a player for the Penguins, and he's the first to give credit to all of his team members for his excellent coaching record since taking over the reigns of the program in the fall of 1983, a post that he has held ever since.
As a player, he was a member of Carson's winningest dual meet team ever – the 1971 squad which posted a 22-4 overall ledger and an .846 winning percentage. He lettered, averaging 78.6 for the season and played in the NCAA/Division II National Championships which were held at Chico State University. In 1972 and 1973, he earned letters by playing mostly a dual and triangular schedule, posting the best overall record in match play.
He earned his BS degree in Financial Management in 1974, and that same year was named as the Assistant Golf Pro at Avalon and Avalon Lakes Golf Courses.
When he took over as the head coach of the program in time for the 1984 season, it had been almost 10 years since his departure as a student, thus becoming one of the youngest Division I coaches at the time in the NCAA. He helped to nurture the program during its transition to its current Division I status.
In 1984, he was also named Head Golf Pro and Director of Golf at Avalon and Avalon Lakes Golf Courses. In 1988 he signed a 10-year lease with the city of Warren to operate the Avalon Lakes Golf Course when the Lakes Course was sold.
When he took over as the head coach, dual and triangular meets were a thing of the past and his squad has played basically a tournament schedule. When the team was in the Ohio Valley Conference, he was the Director of the 1986 O.V.C. Championships and as a member of the Mid-Continent Conference, served as Director of the 1993 M.C.C. Golf Championships – both tournaments being held at the Avalon Lakes Golf Course.
Married to the former Susan Moore, they have three children; Meredyth (15), Brooke (12), and Stefanie (8).
