Bio

Tom Koehle is the head coach of Penn State Altoona's men's and women's golf teams. He heads into Fall 2023 for his 18th season at the helm of the overall Penn State Altoona golf program. His first stint was from 2004 to 2011, and he returned in 2014 following a two-year hiatus. Koehle serves as the Region V representative on the NCAA Division III National Golf Committee for four years from August 2022 to 2026.

During his tenure, Koehle guided the Lions to six Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2021, 2022). His teams appeared in six NCAA Division III National Tournaments, the most of any Penn State Altoona varsity team. The Lions have also garnered six runner-up finishes at the AMCC Championships, as well as three third place finishes and two fourth place finishes. Over 17 seasons, 56 Lion golfers have been placed on the AMCC All-Conference teams, and 68 golfers have finished in the top 20 individuals at the AMCC Championships.

The Lions have won 30 tournament titles, including two Eastern College Athletic Conference South Region Championships. The program has produced five AMCC Players of the Year, six AMCC Newcomers of the Year, and five AMCC Women’s Invitational Champions. In the 2006, Spring 2021, and Fall 2021 seasons, Koehle was named AMCC Coach of the Year by his peers.

In 2011, 2017, and 2018, the Lions won the AMCC Peak Performer Award for the highest team GPA among all conference golf teams. Standout golfer Chris Perry was awarded the NCAA Sportsmanship Award in 2009 for his display of honesty and sportsmanship, when he disqualified himself after signing an incorrect scorecard for not taking an appropriate penalty during play.  In 2020-21, Jimmy Gillespie was named the Penn State Altoona Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the AMCC Faculty Athletic Representative Award winner as the top male scholar-athlete in the conference.

Koehle’s career head-to-head record through the end of the Spring 2022 season is 879-399-12.

No stranger to Division III golf prior to his coaching tenure, Koehle competed at Penn State Altoona in 2000 and 2001. He was named the Lions’ Most Valuable Player and earned AMCC All-Conference status during the 2001 season. That year, he won the Mount Aloysius College Invitational and took second place at the La Roche College Invitational. He graduated from Penn State in 2003 with a degree in Secondary Education.

Currently, Koehle works as the Director of Partners in Mission with Presbyterian Senior Living after 16 years as a golf professional. Koehle served as head golf professional at Iron Masters Country Club for eight years and Huntingdon Country Club for two years. He also worked as an assistant professional at both Sinking Valley Country Club and Toftrees Golf Resort. During Koehle’s time as a golf pro, he specialized in individual, group, and junior instruction, as well as tournament operations.

Koehle also serves Penn State Altoona in a number of volunteer capacities. He is chair of the Penn State Altoona Athletics Advisory Council and is a member of the Penn State Altoona Advisory Board, chairing the outreach and development committee. He also served two stints as a member of the Penn State Altoona Alumni Society Board of Directors. Koehle was president from 2012 to 2014 and also served on the Penn State Alumni Council during that time. He currently leads the award-winning Alumni Society Community for Kids Golf Tournament, which raises funds for the Blair County Center for Child Justice, the Alumni Society Scholarship fund, and non-budgeted needs for the athletic department. Koehle was recognized in 2018 with the Ivyside Society Distinguished Service Award for his volunteerism and service to Penn State Altoona.

Additionally, Koehle serves as the voice of Penn State Altoona men’s and women’s basketball, calling play-by-play during the live internet broadcasts of Lions’ home games.

Koehle and his wife Heather, also a Penn State graduate, reside in Altoona with their daughter Madelynn.