Contact

Wildcat Golf Academy: Pat Goss
Wildcat Golf Academy: Pat Goss

Pat Goss, Co-Founder

Patt Goss
Wildcat Golf Academy Founders

Pat Goss was named Chief Operating Officer for Northwestern Athletics & Recreation in July 2025, bringing decades of elite leadership, innovation, and competitive excellence to the department. He is also the co-founder and co-owner of the Wildcat Golf Academy (WGA) and one of the most respected coaches in the sport.

A member of Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 Teachers in America,” Pat is one of just three collegiate head coaches ever to earn that distinction. Under his leadership, Northwestern’s men’s and women’s golf programs have become national powerhouses, capturing an NCAA Team Championship, producing an NCAA Individual Champion and National Player of the Year, and developing numerous PGA Tour professionals.

His programs have earned eight Big Ten team championships, nine Big Ten individual titles, and eight Big Ten Player of the Year honors, while producing a combined 26 All-Americans and more than 100 Academic All-America selections. Northwestern teams under Pat qualified for 40 of the last 44 NCAA Championships, with championship finishes including first, second, third, fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth.

Pat has coached more than 15 PGA and LPGA Tour players, most notably serving as Luke Donald’s full-time coach for 17 years, during which Donald held the World No. 1 ranking for 56 weeks (2011–12). His professional coaching résumé also includes:

  • Webb Simpson, short game and putting coach since 2015; Simpson ranked among the PGA Tour’s best in scrambling and sand saves from 2017–19 and won The Players Championship (2018), Waste Management Phoenix Open (2020), and RBC Heritage (2020)
  • Dylan Wu, full-game coach and current PGA Tour member, former Northwestern All-American and Korn Ferry Tour winner
  • David Lipsky, short game, wedge, and putting coach; multiple international tour winner and current PGA Tour member

Pat has also worked extensively with PGA Tour players Trevor Immelman, Gary Woodland, Patrick Cantlay, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Watney, and others, as well as LPGA stars Danielle Kang and Peiyun Chun.

A recognized innovator, Pat is the co-inventor of the Putting Board, reflecting his deep commitment to player development and performance technology. His honors include Golfweek National Coach of the Year (1997), four Big Ten Coach of the Year awards, and Illinois PGA Teacher of the Year (2012).

A Northwestern alumnus, Pat played collegiate golf under Jeff Mory and later served as Mory’s assistant coach from 1992–96. Beyond the course, he served as President of the Board of Governors for The First Tee of Greater Chicago (2016–19) and has written instructional articles for Golf Magazine and Golf Digest, with national television appearances on Golf Academy Live.