The Then & Now Series is part of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference's 25th anniversary, where the conference will be recognizing current AMCC coaches and/or athletic administrators who are former AMCC student-athletes. The Then & Now Series will run every Tuesday throughout the academic year.

The Penn State Altoona golf program has been a central part of the life of Tom Koehle, from his playing days with the Lions in the early 2000s to his coaching career with the team that began shortly after his college graduation.

In the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Koehle was a student-athlete during the first two years of the Penn State Altoona's men's golf team's existence as an NCAA Division III program within the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. He was named the Lions' Most Valuable Player in 2001 and was an All-AMCC selection that fall. Koehle's 2001 season was also highlighted by a first place individual finish in the Mount Aloysius Invitational, as well as a runner-up finish at the La Roche Invitational. Koehle went on to graduate from Penn State in 2003 with a degree in Secondary Education.

"When we started the golf program at Penn State Altoona, it was a great way to enhance my college experience. I was able to develop many great friendships within my team, and with some of our rival schools," said Koehle. "I still see Josh Haas of La Roche from time to time, and we reminisce about our playing days. I think the AMCC and Division III golf provides a great opportunity for healthy competition and interaction with so many golfers from many different backgrounds. Social media has made staying in touch with teammates and competitors so much easier. It is great to see the success that many have gone on to achieve."

Koehle has countless fond memories from his playing days as a Division III student-athlete, including two of his best performances on the course as a player for Penn State Altoona.

"My most enjoyable memories just came from being a member of the first team when golf was re-established, and we had a great group of guys who enjoyed being around the game of golf and loved Penn State. I had no idea that it would lead to coaching and impacting our program over the next 20 years," Koehle stated. "I can't help but think about my last two collegiate events, winning Mount Aloysius' event by eight shots in what may have been – and still is – one of the best competitive rounds I have ever played. I took that momentum to Wildwood at La Roche's tournament and had a great dual with Adam Langford. It was his home club, on top of being LRU's home course. We both played great that day, but I three-putted the 15th green. He ultimately won by one shot, but I was proud of how I hung in with him. He was a great player for LRU."

Koehle returned to Penn State Altoona soon after the end of his college career, as he was hired as the head coach of the Lions' golf program in 2004. Since then, Koehle has spent a total of 16 years at the helm of Penn State Altoona golf, guiding the men's team to five AMCC Championships and five NCAA Division III national tournament berths during his tenure. He has also been the coach for five AMCC women's golf individual title wins, accomplished by four different Penn State Altoona women's golfers.

From his playing days to his current status as head coach of the Lions golf team, Koehle has been excited to see the growth of the sport within the AMCC.

"The conference golf teams have really taken steps forward over the years. Each program, at some point, has really put forward great players," he said. "Teams are deeper, talent-wise, so you never know when a program may quickly improve from one year to the next. Our programs really take golf seriously and provide the athletes with great clubs to play and practice at."

Being able to guide Penn State Altoona's golf program to success as a coach means a lot to Koehle. After experiencing the team's first days as a player, achieving victories as a coach 20 years after the conclusion of his collegiate playing career is fulfilling.

"I have had the great experience of being a part of 21 of the 25 years of AMCC golf, between playing and coaching. I have been able to grow up and be mentored by some great coaches, like Jim Tinkey [La Roche], James Bowen [Penn State Behrend], and Keith Stauffer [Pitt-Bradford]. I was a little immature in my early years, but those guys stuck with me and showed me how to conduct myself as a coach and run a quality program," said Koehle. "I was also fortunate enough to take over for [former Penn State Altoona golf head coach] Greg Johnson, who did a great job getting our program up and running from the start. I now see it as my work to mentor and encourage some of our younger coaches, just like those I mentioned did for me. We have coaches who are very passionate and accomplished players and are now making that transition to coaching. I have no doubt the best era of AMCC golf is still ahead of us."