Drew Goff has found success with his first coaching job as the head coach of the women’s golf team at Loyola.
Before Goff got to Loyola in 2016, the women’s team had not qualified to play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ National Championship. However, last season, the team finished seventh out of 30 teams at the championship tournament, the best finish in school history.
“I always wanted to get into coaching,” said Goff. “I would say back when I played in college, I realized that that’s something I thought I would want to do. And once the opportunity presented itself, I applied and I got the job.”
When Goff started, the women’s team was ranked around 45th, but last season, they finished seventh, and two years before that ninth nationally.
“We’ve just seen a steady improvement every year,” Goff said.
At the end of his third season at Loyola, Goff was named Women’s Golf Coach of the Year by the Southern States Athletic Conference and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
He said the success of the team has drawn the attention of better players in the last few years.
Blair McKenzie, a freshman on the women’s team, said that a large part of why she chose Loyola was due to the coach.
“He was the first coach to respond to me, and that was a special thing for my self esteem. He was so enthusiastic about the future of the team because of how they have been breaking records each season,” said McKenzie.
Freshman Aidan McLachlan said she was drawn to the team because it was welcoming.
“My favorite thing about the golf team is the community that is built within the team and how close everyone is and how great it has been to get to know everyone,” McLachlan said.
Goff is excited for the start of his sixth coaching season and has big goals for the team this year.
“We have the same players who had our best finish at nationals last year all returning, along with four new players,” he said.
Goff said he wants the returners to continue to improve and thinks that the push from the new players is going to help the team dynamics.
“I’m extremely excited about this year. We need that competition,” he said.