Former Blue Demons men’s tennis coach Luke J. Taylor (CMN MA ’05) talked to DePaul Magazine about his new golf podcast “Clubs and Corks Golf Podcast,” which debuted in February 2021. He lives with his family in Akron, Ohio, where he owns a wine distribution company.

What is your background?

I was born and raised in Canada. I started to play sports when I was 2 years old. I played hockey, obviously, being in Canada, but I also played a lot of sports in high school. I played five varsity sports one year and was ranked in the World Junior Tennis rankings for Tennis Canada. I was a really good basketball player, too, and our high school basketball team was one of the top teams in Canada. I got an athletic scholarship at Arkansas Tech, a small Division II university, and then transferred to the University of Illinois, Chicago.

What did you do after college?

I worked in television. I interned at WFLD-TV in Chicago in the sports department with Corey McPherrin and Dan Jiggetts. That was an awesome experience! Then I moved to Iowa and was on air for some time before moving back to Canada to be on air there.

Why did you decide to pursue a master’s degree from DePaul?

I moved back to Chicago and was coaching men’s tennis at DePaul when I decided to pursue my master’s at the College of Communication. There were a few factors leading to this decision. The alumni contacts are very strong, DePaul is renowned for its academics and it has a great global reputation. I was in the first class in the public relations and advertising master’s program, and it was the best decision ever!

What was it like being the men’s tennis coach at DePaul?

I was the men’s tennis coach from 2002 to 2004. It was a really cool experience. The first year, we were 5-and-19. I’ll never forget it. The next year, we were 13-and-12. My wife, Melissa, is from Akron, and she wanted to move back so we moved. The year after we left Chicago, men’s tennis was 20-and-5 with all the guys I coached. Overall, it was a really good experience at DePaul. I also met my wife through DePaul because one of my classmates introduced me to her. To say that DePaul holds a special piece of my heart is an understatement.

So, “Clubs and Corks Golf Podcast.” What’s the story?

I owned an indoor tennis club when I moved to Ohio, but now I’m in the wine business. Through wine, I met my co-host and business partner, Ben Curtis, who is also in the wine industry and is a former professional golfer. He won the British Open in 2003, as well as four PGA Tour events. We became friends and decided to start this golf podcast.

It’s pretty amazing because he’s a very humble guy, but because of him, the guest line-up is really a who’s who of golf. One guest, Jason Day, was the number one player in the world for quite a few years. Once the pandemic is over, we intend to travel and interview guests live.

It’s fun. I have the broadcasting background, and then you throw in a guy like Ben Curtis, who’s been there, done that, and I really don’t know of any other golf podcast that is offering this kind of thing. We just talk about life, golf, their experiences, have some fun. It’s a lot of laughs and just real relaxed.

Find “Clubs and Corks Golf Podcast” here or wherever you get your podcasts.

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