News

Mike Meeks, a former golf teaching professional for 19 years, has been hired as the new head coach for the Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's golf team.

Meeks, who is a self-employed sportsware and awards salesman from Gahanna, Ohio, will take over for Mike O'Hara, who resigned after the 2002 season to pursue other golf opportunities in Macon, Georgia.

"I am excited about the chance to be a part of this successful program," said Meeks, who attended MVNU during the 1973-1974 school year. "We have a strong nucleus of players returning who can help us return to the NAIA National Tournament. I am looking forward to working with the players on some of the little things that will help take their games to a higher level."

Meeks served as the assistant coach at Columbus State Community College for two years from 1999-2001 and helped the team to the junior college national tournament each year.

Meeks and his wife, Pam, attend Shepherd Church of the Nazarene. Their son, Joel, will be a senior on the MVNU golf team this fall, while their other son, Matt, will be a senior in high school. Their daughter, Ashley, will also be a freshman in high school.

"We are excited to have Mike come on board as the golf coach," said MVNU athletic director Scott Flemming. "It was a priority of our search to find someone with a background in golf and not just someone who could oversee the program. With Mike's experience as a pro and his knowledge of the game, we feel that he is a great choice to fill the position."

"It was also important for us to find someone who will be a good mission fit for our institution," Flemming added. "With Mike being an alum of the school and also with his Christian walk and involvement in his local church, we feel that we have selected a great person to lead the golf program."

In addition to hiring Meeks as the head coach, MVNU announced that former Cougar golfer Chris Huff has been hired as the assistant coach. Huff, who finished his four-year career at MVNU in 1999, will handle all the scheduling and transportation arrangements for the team.

The Cougars posted a 58-32-1 overall record in 2002. The team also finished second at the American Mideast Conference/NAIA Region IX Tournament and just missed earning its second straight trip to the NAIA National Tournament. In 2001, MVNU finished 12th out of 27 teams in only the program's second ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament.

MVNU currently offers eight varsity sports - men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, fastpitch softball, and men's golf. The Cougars compete in both the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) and are one of the 21 members of the American Mideast Conference.