 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| |
|
|
 |
     |
|
|
In his first 11 years as a college head coach, Pat Goss has put his stamp on Northwestern's men's golf program. And now the rest of the golf world is taking notice, too. In February of 2007, Goss achieved one of his sport's highest honors, being named one of Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Teachers in America." It is an illustrious honor given the fact that he is just one of three collegiate head coaches on the current list. In the fall of 2007, Goss was named Northwestern's director of golf, earning overall responsibility and oversight of both the men's and women's golf programs. Goss emphasizes teaching and that coaching trait has been recognized nationally by numerous other publications. Golf Digest annually ranks him as one the state's top five teachers, currently ranking him third among Illinois instructors. In 2002, Golfweek tabbed him as one of its 40 individuals under the age of 40 who were making an impact in the golf industry. At Northwestern, his accomplishments include four Big Ten titles (1999-2001, 2006) and five top-25 NCAA national finishes in the last 11 years. These achievements have solidified Northwestern as one of the nation's top programs, and perhaps the elite program in the Midwest. In the latest Golf Digest "College Golf Guide," Northwestern is ranked 30th among all schools nationally and is the top program for schools in the northern and northeastern half of the country. Already a four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001), Goss' Wildcats have won four Big Ten crowns (1999, 2000, 2001 and 2006) and 22 tournament titles in his tenure. Under Goss, the Wildcat program has consistently been ranked among the nation's best, year-in and year-out. Northwestern has made 11 appearances in the last 13 NCAA Championships, the last nine under Goss. In a recent Golfweek study (Sagarin average), Northwestern's program was ranked 25th nationally for a six-year period (2000-05). In 1997, Golfweek tabbed him as its National Coach of the Year after guiding the Wildcats to their first of four straight top-20 NCAA finishes. The 1999 Big Ten title was Northwestern's first since 1948. In 1998-99, Goss' troops took third at the NCAA Championships with Luke Donald becoming Northwestern's first NCAA golf champion. Donald, a four-time All-America, and Jess Daley, another Wildcat All-America, both earned their PGA TOUR cards in December 2001. Donald has become one of the world's top-10-ranked players. Tom Johnson, a 2004 graduate, earned his PGA TOUR card in December of 2006. The success on the course has also carried over to the classroom. In the 31 academic quarters that Goss has been in charge, his Wildcats have boasted at least a 3.0 team grade point average for 24 of 31 quarters. Upon assuming duties as interim head coach in February 1997, Goss guided NU to a runner-up finish at the Dr. Pepper Intercollegiate Championships in Pottsboro, Texas. The next weekend, the Wildcats won the Marshall Invitational in Huntington, W. Va., the school's first tournament title since 1993. Just prior to the Big Ten Championships, the interim tag was lifted and Goss was named head coach. In Goss' first season at the helm, the Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Championships. It was a special moment for the team and Goss as Northwestern also was the host school for the tournament. Playing in front of a purple-filled gallery, the Wildcats shocked many by leading the NCAA Championships after both the first and second rounds. NU entered the final day in second place and finished seventh, its highest finish since '43. In 2006, Goss helped bring the Big Ten Championships back to Chicagoland after a 50-year hiatus. The wait was worth it as Northwestern staged perhaps the best conference championship while also sweeping the team and individual titles. Northwestern went on to finish second at the NCAA Central Regional Championships and earn another NCAA national championships berth. Goss spent four-plus seasons as the Wildcats' assistant coach prior to his promotion to the head coaching position. He is a PGA Class "A" member. In 1995, he spent four months as the teaching professional at El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico. In 1996, he spent a week as a teaching professional in the Intersport tent at the Masters in Augusta, Ga. Goss has former players playing on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, Canadian Tour, NGA Hooters Tour and the Gateway Tour. He continues to teach and coach Luke Donald, and accompanies him to every major tournament as well as the Ryder Cup. The native of Crystal Lake, Ill., spent the first two years of his collegiate playing career at Marshall University before transferring to Northwestern in 1991. He received his bachelor's degree in economics from Northwestern in 1992. Goss is a two-time GCAA District Four Coach of the Year (1997, 1999). In addition, he served on the District IV Advisory Committee from 1998-2000, and as its chairman in 2000. He is currently serving on GCAA's All-America Committee. He and his wife, Lindy, have three children: Allison, Claire and Madeline. The Goss family lives in Evanston. The Goss File
Tournament Championships (22)
Runner-Up Finishes (20)
Third-Place Finishes (9)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||
