After 14 years, the men’s golf head coach is calling it quits at BG.
Garry Winger resigned as the Falcons’ head coach to accept a position as assistant coach at Michigan State University Friday.
By accepting the position he will replace former Spartan All-American Ryan Brehm on the MSU coaching staff. Brehm resigned from his position in May to fully pursue his professional golf career.
“The Athletic Department and community have been a second family to me,” Winger said. “The valuable experience I have gained at BGSU will help me continue my career at Michigan State University.”
Long before Winger stepped into his head coaching position at BG, he was a member of the team, Athletic Director Greg Christopher said.
Winger played for the Falcons during his collegiate years and graduated from BG with a degree in Business in 1994.
At the end of his collegiate career, Winger had the program’s lowest career scoring average with a 75, a single-season scoring average of 72.4 and a 54-hole record score of 210. He earned a second-team All-MAC selection and the MAC Sportsmanship Award as a senior.
Winger placed in the MAC Championship, once in 1993 in sixth place and third in 1994, accoding to BGSU Athletics.
He then went on to play professionally for four years.
He spent two years playing on the Canadian PGA Tour and he earned wins in the Cleveland Tour, Gary Player Tour, Moonlight Tour and Tommy Armour Tour.
As the head coach of the Falcons, Winger led the team to nine team victories, in addition to ten individual titles. In his career he has coached four all-MAC selections and two Cleveland All-America Scholars.
Not only was Winger vital on the course, but he also worked closely with the athletic department fundraising to develop the first-ever men’s golf endowment, which raised funds to build the Falcon Golf Training Center and a wedge range at the Forrest Creason Golf Course.
In conjunction with his head coaching position, he was also the Assistant Director of Golf at Forrest Creason in BG for six years (1998-04) and he instructed golf classes through the School of Human Movement at the University.
“Garry has put his heart and soul into building the program here the right way,” Christopher said. “We wish him well on this new chapter in his career.”
Information from www.bgsufalcons.com
