Pat Goss Position: Head Coach & NU Director of Golf Experience: 16th Year Alma Mater: Northwestern, 1992

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Pat Goss has put his stamp on Northwestern men's golf in his 15 years as head coach, building the program into one the best in the Big Ten, the Midwest and in the entire nation.

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. Goss has written instructional articles for Golf Magazine and Golf Digest, appeared on Golf Academy Live and, most recently, appeared in a CBS Sports Special on PGA Professionals in May of 2011.

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 publications. In 2002, Golfweek tabbed him as one of its 40 individuals under the age of 40 who have an impact in the golf industry.

At Northwestern, his accomplishments include four Big Ten titles (1999-2001, 2006) and seven top-30 NCAA national finishes in the last 15 years. These achievements have solidified Northwestern as one of the nation's top programs, and perhaps the elite program in the Midwest. In the 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 team crowns (1999, 2000, 2001 and 2006) and five individual Big Ten Championships in that time (Luke Donald, 2000 and 2001; Chris Wilson, 2006; Eric Chun, 2009; David Lipsky, 2010). In addition, NU has won 27 tournament titles in Goss' tenure, including capturing back-to-back Big Ten Match Play Championship titles in February of 2010 and 2011.

Under Goss, the Wildcat program has consistently been ranked among the nation's best, year-in and year-out. Northwestern has made 14 appearances in the last 17 NCAA Championships, the last 12 under Goss. In a Golfweek study (Sagarin average) performed at the beginning of the decade, Northwestern's program was ranked 25th nationally for a six-year period (2000-05).

In 1997, Golfweek tabbed Goss 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-American, and Jess Daley, another Wildcat All-American, both earned their PGA TOUR cards in December 2001. Goss still serves as swing coach for Donald, who became the world's No. 1-ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking following his win at the 2011 BMW PGA Championship in Europe in May. Tom Johnson, a 2004 graduate, earned his PGA TOUR card in December of 2006 and Chris Wilson, a 2007 grad, won his PGA TOUR card during Q school in 2009 before earning a berth in the 2011 U.S. Open through local and sectional qualifying.

The success on the course also has carried over into the classroom. In the 44 academic quarters that Goss has been in charge, his Wildcats have boasted at least a 3.0 team grade point average for 37 of 44 quarters.

In addition, Wildcats routinely have earned GCAA Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar honors in recent years, totaling 15 such awards in Goss' tenure. The accolade combines criteria comprised of skill level, grade point average and moral character.

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.

Goss has former players playing on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, Canadian Tour, NGA Hooters Tour and the Gateway Tour. He has coached two active Wildcats to berths in Major Championships, with Dillon Dougherty earning a spot in the 2005 Masters and Eric Chun qualifying for the 2010 British Open.

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 currently is serving on the board of the First Tee of Chicago.

He and his wife, Lindy, have three children: Allison, Claire and Madeline. The Goss family lives in Evanston.

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