Steve Napoli is in his third year as the Director of Golf at the College of the Holy Cross in 2023-24. Napoli has led the men's program for eight seasons and is in his third season as leader of the women's program.
During the 2023-24 season, Napoli coached two All-Patriot League Team selections, Nolan Schuermann ('25, First Team) and Ryan Scollins ('27, Second Team) who helped the Crusaders to a fifth place team finish at the Patriot League Championship. On the women's side, he coached the first female Patriot League Golfer of the Week in program history, Phoebe Chamian ('26).
In 2019-2020, Napoli was selected as the New England Coach of the Year, in voting by New England's Division I golf coaches. He led the Crusaders to their first tournament victory against Division I competition since 1998, when they captured the title at the Lehigh Invitational. Napoli’s team also posted three top five team finishes on the season, while improving its individual scoring average from the previous year by over two strokes per 18 holes. For the first time in program history, every student-athlete who saw action averaged less than 76 strokes per round, including five of the school's nine lowest single-season scoring averages of all-time.
During the 2018-2019 campaign, Napoli led the Crusaders to a seventh-place finish at the Patriot League Championship, with every player on the roster averaging less than 80 strokes per round for the first time in program history. In addition, Joe Egan earned second team All-Patriot League honors after 74.5 strokes per 18 holes, the second-best single-season mark ever at Holy Cross. The Crusaders have also totaled 23 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections over the course of Napoli’s first three years.
Napoli came to Holy Cross after serving as the director of golf at the Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. In four years at Liberty National he managed and directed all aspects of golf operations, built an energetic staff of PGA professionals with college interns to provide a high level of customer service and delivered an exceptional tournament program for golfers of all levels. Prior to his time at Liberty National, Napoli served as the director of golf at the Carnegie Abbey Club in Portsmouth, R.I., and the Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, R.I. In addition, he was the head golf professional at the Pawtucket Country Club for eight years.
Napoli was inducted into the New England PGA Hall of Fame in 2013, and was named the New England PGA Junior Golf Leader in 2010. Golf Digest also named him the top teacher in Rhode Island in 2007. In 2003, Napoli was named the recipient of the PGA of America Bill Strausbaugh Award, a national award given to an instructor who excels in mentoring fellow PGA professionals and community service.
As a player, Napoli won the 1999 New England PGA Junior-Senior Championship, and the 1988 Rhode Island PGA Championship. He played with the New England PGA Cup Team from 1990 to 1996, and placed second in the 1992 Rhode Island Open. Napoli was also a quarterfinalist in the New England PGA Match Play Championship in 1983 and 1984, and set a competitive course record of 65 at the Warwick Country Club in 1984.
Napoli graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.
