Photo by: Northwestern Athletics
Pat Goss Named Chief Operating Officer for Northwestern Athletics & Recreation
7/10/2025 11:00:00 AM | General, Men's Golf, Women's Golf
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern University has announced the appointment of Pat Goss as Chief Operating Officer for Northwestern Athletics & Recreation. A longstanding and accomplished figure within the Northwestern community, Goss has led the golf program for decades and most recently served as Interim Senior Deputy Director of Athletics. He will assume his new role immediately, overseeing a broad range of essential operational functions and strategic initiatives across the entire department.
"We're incredibly excited to name Pat Goss to our executive leadership team," said Mark Jackson, Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation. "Pat embodies the Northwestern spirit, combining visionary leadership, an unparalleled commitment to student-athlete welfare, and a deep understanding of our institutional values. His three decades of impactful service and proven ability to execute long-term plans make him the ideal person to oversee our comprehensive operations. His deep institutional knowledge and track record of success will be invaluable as we continue to elevate Northwestern Athletics and Recreation."
As Chief Operating Officer, Goss will be responsible for critical operational functions including the finance and business office, human resources, the newly hired general manager position, event and facilities management, sport administration, equipment services, and information technology. Goss will also play a pivotal role in ensuring comprehensive care for student-athletes by overseeing the partnership with Northwestern Medicine, sports psychology, and student affairs. Additionally, he will continue his direct involvement with the golf programs, serving as the sport administrator for both the men's and women's teams.
"I'm deeply honored and humbled to step into this new leadership position within Northwestern Athletics and Recreation," said Goss. "Northwestern has had a profound impact on me from my time as a student-athlete, coach, and administrator, and I'm grateful for every opportunity and am excited to serve the athletic department and university in any manner that I can make an impact. I'm heavily inspired by our student-athletes and coaches and want to help them achieve their goals. I extend my sincere gratitude to Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Mark Jackson for this incredible opportunity. I'm eager to leverage my experience to support our entire department, ensuring we continue to provide an elite environment for our Wildcats across all sports and solidify our foundation for future achievements. It's bittersweet to move on from coaching the golf teams after 28 years, but I'm confident that Emily Fletcher and David Inglis are exceptionally well-positioned to continue leading the golf program to even greater heights. I look forward to supporting them in this next chapter."
Goss brings more than three decades of comprehensive leadership and coaching experience within Northwestern Athletics. As Co-Sport Administrator this past year, Goss provided comprehensive administrative oversight for Football and Men's Basketball, managing schedules and related contracts, and acting as the Big Ten Conference liaison. Additionally, he played a central role in strategic initiatives, overseeing the implementation of revenue sharing and NIL Go platforms, and managing the initial budgeting, negotiation, and contract execution of NIL licensing agreements. His portfolio also includes significant capital projects – such as the renovation of Kirkpatrick Softball Stadium – along with securing and hosting major events like the 2026 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Final Four, and finalizing key tenancy and game contracts with the Chicago Stars and the Premier Lacrosse League, all of which he will continue to be involved in.
Goss has served as the Director of Golf for both the men's and women's programs since 2007, and before that, the men's golf head coach from 1997 to 2014, beginning his coaching career as an assistant. A proud Northwestern alumnus, Goss also competed as a student-athlete on the golf team. His executive experience is highlighted by his ability to develop and execute long-term impactful plans, build collaborative relationships across the department and campus, and by his unwavering commitment to student-athlete welfare. Under his leadership, Northwestern's golf programs have become national powerhouses – earning an NCAA team championship, producing an NCAA Individual Champion and National Player of the Year, and developing numerous PGA Tour professionals. His programs have captured eight Big Ten team titles, nine Big Ten Individual Championships, and eight Big Ten Player of the Year honors, alongside a combined 26 All-Americans and over 100 academic All-America recognitions. His track record of sustained competitive and academic success across both programs speaks to his vision, leadership, and deep investment in Northwestern's values. He is recognized as a creative problem-solver and consensus builder with unquestionable integrity.
"We're incredibly excited to name Pat Goss to our executive leadership team," said Mark Jackson, Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation. "Pat embodies the Northwestern spirit, combining visionary leadership, an unparalleled commitment to student-athlete welfare, and a deep understanding of our institutional values. His three decades of impactful service and proven ability to execute long-term plans make him the ideal person to oversee our comprehensive operations. His deep institutional knowledge and track record of success will be invaluable as we continue to elevate Northwestern Athletics and Recreation."
As Chief Operating Officer, Goss will be responsible for critical operational functions including the finance and business office, human resources, the newly hired general manager position, event and facilities management, sport administration, equipment services, and information technology. Goss will also play a pivotal role in ensuring comprehensive care for student-athletes by overseeing the partnership with Northwestern Medicine, sports psychology, and student affairs. Additionally, he will continue his direct involvement with the golf programs, serving as the sport administrator for both the men's and women's teams.
"I'm deeply honored and humbled to step into this new leadership position within Northwestern Athletics and Recreation," said Goss. "Northwestern has had a profound impact on me from my time as a student-athlete, coach, and administrator, and I'm grateful for every opportunity and am excited to serve the athletic department and university in any manner that I can make an impact. I'm heavily inspired by our student-athletes and coaches and want to help them achieve their goals. I extend my sincere gratitude to Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Mark Jackson for this incredible opportunity. I'm eager to leverage my experience to support our entire department, ensuring we continue to provide an elite environment for our Wildcats across all sports and solidify our foundation for future achievements. It's bittersweet to move on from coaching the golf teams after 28 years, but I'm confident that Emily Fletcher and David Inglis are exceptionally well-positioned to continue leading the golf program to even greater heights. I look forward to supporting them in this next chapter."
Goss brings more than three decades of comprehensive leadership and coaching experience within Northwestern Athletics. As Co-Sport Administrator this past year, Goss provided comprehensive administrative oversight for Football and Men's Basketball, managing schedules and related contracts, and acting as the Big Ten Conference liaison. Additionally, he played a central role in strategic initiatives, overseeing the implementation of revenue sharing and NIL Go platforms, and managing the initial budgeting, negotiation, and contract execution of NIL licensing agreements. His portfolio also includes significant capital projects – such as the renovation of Kirkpatrick Softball Stadium – along with securing and hosting major events like the 2026 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Final Four, and finalizing key tenancy and game contracts with the Chicago Stars and the Premier Lacrosse League, all of which he will continue to be involved in.
Goss has served as the Director of Golf for both the men's and women's programs since 2007, and before that, the men's golf head coach from 1997 to 2014, beginning his coaching career as an assistant. A proud Northwestern alumnus, Goss also competed as a student-athlete on the golf team. His executive experience is highlighted by his ability to develop and execute long-term impactful plans, build collaborative relationships across the department and campus, and by his unwavering commitment to student-athlete welfare. Under his leadership, Northwestern's golf programs have become national powerhouses – earning an NCAA team championship, producing an NCAA Individual Champion and National Player of the Year, and developing numerous PGA Tour professionals. His programs have captured eight Big Ten team titles, nine Big Ten Individual Championships, and eight Big Ten Player of the Year honors, alongside a combined 26 All-Americans and over 100 academic All-America recognitions. His track record of sustained competitive and academic success across both programs speaks to his vision, leadership, and deep investment in Northwestern's values. He is recognized as a creative problem-solver and consensus builder with unquestionable integrity.
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