The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Names Nick Goetze Head Men?s Golf Coach
August 06 | Men's Golf
AKRON – University of Akron director of athletics Mack Rhoades announced the hiring of Nick Goetze as head men's golf coach. Goetze comes to Akron with an extensive background in collegiate golf, as well as experience as a professional athlete on the PGA, Canadian, Asian and NGA Hooters Tours.
"We are very excited Nick is joining the UA Athletics family as our head men's golf coach." Rhoades said. "Nick's tremendous success both as a student-athlete and head coach, as well as his professional playing career, have provided him invaluable experiences and background for leading our men's golf program to greater success over the next several years. He is very well versed in all aspects of directing a golf program and will serve as a great role model for our young men. Both Nick and his wife Linda are great additions to our University and the Akron community."
Goetze, a three-time All-American as a collegiate golfer at Clemson, led Mississippi State to the 2000 NCAA Championship as that program's head coach, while leading MSU and University of Texas at El Paso to a total of three NCAA Regional berths. He additionally helped Florida to an NCAA Regional as an assistant coach, had two stints as a professional golfer (1994-96 and 2003-04), and worked in private business over the past two years."I am very excited to be joining the University of Akron athletics family," Goetze said."I was extremely impressed by athletics director Mack Rhoades and senior associate athletics director Hunter Yurachek for the vision they have for the men's golf program. I feel we have a talented group of young golfers on the team, and I am looking forward to building on the past success and taking this group to the regional and national levels."
Prior to his time serving as a financial advisor for PMFM Inc., for the past two years, Goetze was head coach at Florida State from 2000-03. During his tenure, he led the Seminoles to 21 top-10 finishes in tournament play, nine in his last season at FSU. Among those was placing sixth at the 2002 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, which was the program's best finish at the nationally renowned ACC since 1995.
Goetze also experienced success in the highly-competitive Southeastern Conference from 1998-2000 as head coach with Mississippi State. In 2000, he led the Bulldogs to a third-place finish at the SEC Championship, earned a berth to the NCAA East Regional and, thanks to a seventh-place finish, advanced to the 2000 NCAA Championships, where MSU placed 19th. Also in 2000, Mississippi State's Alex Rocha placed 12th individually at the East Regional. The previous year, 1999 and Goetze first season with Mississippi State, the Bulldogs posted three team victories during the season, placed fourth at the SEC Championships and received a bid to the NCAA East Regional, tying for 10th. Prior to his arrival in Starkville, the Bulldogs had not participated in the NCAA since 1991.
His first appointment as a head collegiate coach came at UTEP for the 1997-98 season. In his lone season with the Miners, UTEP won a team title and received a bid to participate in the NCAA West Regional.
Goetze began his coaching career as an assistant at the University of Florida. In his one year in Gainesville (1996-97), the Gators earned a berth to the NCAA East Regional and advanced to the NCAA Championships, placing 15th.
Goetze, 37, experienced success as player, both as a collegian and professional, prior to becoming a coach.
As a professional, he won the Canadian Tour's BC Tel Pacific Open in 1995.
While at Clemson, he was a three-time All-American, three-time All-ACC performer and a 1992 Academic All-America honoree. During his career with the Tigers, he recorded 14 top-five finishes, including wins at the Ping/Golfweek NCAA Preview in 1990 and '92. He still holds Clemson records for tournaments competed in and most rounds competed for a career (1989-92).
Goetze received a B.S. in financial management from Clemson in 1993. He is married to the former Linda Mosher. His sister, Vicki Goetze-Akerman, played collegiately at Georgia and has been on the LPGA tour since 1994.
