KOEHLE RETURNS TO PENN ST. ALTOONA GOLF PROGRAM

Tom Koehle is returning as head coach of the varsity men’s golf program at Penn St. Altoona. Koehle was previously the team’s head coach from 2004-2011, and he now returns to lead the program after a two-year hiatus from the position.

"It’s exciting to be back at the helm of Penn State Altoona men’s golf," said Koehle. "I look forward to competing in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and challenging for championships in the coming years."

During his first tenure as head coach, Koehle guided the Lions to four AMCC titles (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010). His teams appeared in four NCAA Division III Tournaments, the most of any Penn State Altoona varsity team. The Lions also won Eastern College Athletic Conference South Region Championships in 2006 and 2009. Koehle has coached a number of AMCC All-Conference selections, as well as two individual champions of the AMCC Tournament. He won the AMCC’s Coach of the Year award in 2006.

"We’re happy to welcome Tom back into the fold as our head men’s golf coach," said Penn State Altoona Director of Athletics Fredina M. Ingold. "Tom has extensive knowledge of the game, and he holds a successful track record within our program. I look forward to him leading our men’s golf team."

The Penn State Altoona men’s golf program has been one of the school’s most successful teams since its inception in the 2000-2001 season, and Koehle aims to maintain that legacy moving forward.

"The great tradition of successful student-athletes will continue," Koehle stated. "Golf is a source of pride for our college community, and I look forward to continuing the tradition our players have built over the last decade-and-a-half."

Koehle, an Altoona native, was no stranger to NCAA golf or the AMCC prior to the start of his coaching career, having participated in both as a player at Penn State Altoona from 1999-2001. Koehle enjoyed success as a college golfer, as he was named the Lions’ Most Valuable Player and earned AMCC All-Conference honors during the 2001 season. During that year, he won the Mount Aloysius College Invitational and took second place at the La Roche College Invitational.

Aside from his coaching duties, Koehle is the head professional at Iron Masters Country Club in Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, which has served as the Penn State Altoona golf program’s home course for much of the past decade. Koehle was formerly an assistant golf professional and tournament coordinator at Sinking Valley Country Club for one year before spending two years as the head golf professional at Huntingdon Country Club. Koehle also spent time as the assistant golf professional at Toftrees Golf Club in State College, where he specialized in junior, group, and individual instruction.

Along with teaching and coaching, Koehle remains an active golfer, competing in various local pro-am tournaments, United States Open Qualifiers, and Western Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Golf Association tournaments.