Feb. 22, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Pat Goss, Northwestern's head men's golf coach, has earned one of his profession's most illustrious honors, being named a "Top 100 Teacher in America" by Golf Magazine and the SI Golf Group. Goss was formally honored by the organization on Thursday, Jan. 25, at an induction ceremony in Orlando, Fla.
Goss becomes just the second active NCAA Division I head college coach to make the list, joining LSU's Chuck Winstead.
Interestingly, two of the 15 emeritus top-100 teachers have ties to Northwestern: Manuel de la Torre, who graduated from Northwestern in 1947 and is a member of the school's Athletic Hall of Fame, and Dr. Jim Suttie, a former NU coach who actually recruited Goss.
Goss was one of 15 new teachers inducted into Golf Magazine's 2007-08 class.
Since being named the Wildcats' head coach in 1997, Goss has continually received recognition for his teaching. Golf Digest annually ranks him as one of Illinois' top five teachers. 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.
Now in his 11th year at Northwestern, his accomplishments include four Big Ten titles (1999-2001, 2006) and five top-25 NCAA national finishes in the last 10 years. These achievements, along with producing three PGA TOUR players in the last five years, 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.
Goss, a four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year honoree and Golfweek's 1997 National Coach of the Year, continues to teach and coach Luke Donald, who is currently the world's seventh-ranked professional player. Donald was a three-time All-American at Northwestern under Goss, and the 1999 NCAA champion.