Koury named associate athletic director for recruiting
8/5/2021 10:00:00 AM | General
Tyler Golding named interim head coach of golf program
George Koury has been named associate athletic director for recruiting, according to an announcement today from Director of Athletics Nathan Pine. Koury takes over the recruiting position after 20 years as the head golf coach at the Academy.
Assistant golf coach Tyler Goulding, a 2007 Academy graduate who is in his sixth season with the program, has been named interim coach.
"George Koury will be an outstanding teammate and asset to our department in this new role," Pine said. "His passion for Air Force athletics and his unique perspective from being an Academy graduate, Air Force officer and experienced head coach who is familiar with our unique recruiting process is important. I am also confident that our men's golf program is in capable hands with Coach Goulding as the interim head coach while we execute our head coach search. I know he will help grow our program and continue to develop leaders of character for our Air Force and Space Force."
"I am extremely humbled to have Mr. Pine and Ms. Block put their confidence in me to follow two life-long servants, Jim Bowman and Trapper Carpenter, who have impacted every student athlete to ever walk through the doors of the Academy," Koury said. "Over the last 19 years, it has been my privilege, along with many fine assistant coaches, to work with and develop some of the finest young men and women around. I owe a great deal of gratitude to legendary Hall of Fame Coach Gene Miranda for giving me an opportunity to get a high-level of education and play golf at the Academy and also for bringing me back to my alma mater and learning under his terrific mentorship. Today, I am anxious to continue to serve the Academy in this new role."
Before taking over the program as head coach in 2002, Koury spent three seasons as an assistant, working with both the varsity and the junior varsity programs. He was also a member of the Falcons' golf team from 1990-93, where he served as team captain and earned MVP honors in his final year.
Koury began his head coaching career at the start of the 2002-03 season, when he took over for legendary coach Gene Miranda, who had spent 25 years at the helm of the Falcons' program. The transition from assistant to head coach was seamless for Koury. Koury has found success throughout his stint with Air Force.
In 2016-17, the Falcons tied for the fourth-best finish in school history at the Mountain West Championships. The Falcons placed seventh, the best finish since 2014.
In 2012-13, the Falcons shattered the Academy record for team scoring average by more than five strokes per tournament, while also posting a school-record three-round total of 829 -- a score that bettered the previous record by 11 strokes -- during a winning performance at the Jackrabbit Invitational.
The Falcons finished fourth at the Mountain West Championships during back-to-back years (2013, 2014) to match the best team finish at a conference tournament in program history. He also coached Kyle Westmoreland to a fourth-place individual finish in 2014, which was the best conference finish since 1985.
He has helped the Falcons continue their unprecedented dominance at the annual Service Academy Golf Classic, bringing home the championship trophy in each of his seasons at the helm of the program.
In the fall of 2005, Koury helped guide Air Force to a first-place finish at the season-opening Falcon Invitational, marking the team's first outright championship at its own tournament since 1969.
Air Force, which claimed another Falcon Invitational title in 2013, has recorded 13 team wins under Koury's leadership. Koury has also been successful in recruiting, bringing in several players that have started as freshmen, including Westmoreland, 2007 graduate Tyler Goulding, who ranks among the most successful golfers in Academy history, and 2010 graduate Tom Whitney, a participant in both the 2009 U.S. Publinks and U.S. Amateur Tournaments.
Koury guided both Goulding and Whitney to all-conference honors, while Goulding, Whitney and Westmoreland all qualified to the NCAA Regional Championships. Koury has also coached three of All-America Scholars in Whitney, 2005 graduate Scott Redmond and 2017 graduate Dane Hankamer.
Both Whitney and Westmoreland have continued to excel on the course after completing their military commitments. Westmoreland became the first Academy graduate to qualify for, and make the cut in, the U.S. Open in 2021. The U.S. Open was his third PGA Tour event and he has also played in several Korn Ferry events as well. Whitney has played in three PGA Tour events and has competed in more than 100 professional events, combining the PGA Tour, PGA Latinoamerica and Korn Ferry.
Meanwhile, Koury's golfers hold 20 of the 25 lowest individual tournament scores in school history. A constant supporter of the game, Koury has served as numerous committees for the Golf Coaches Association of America, including the chair of the Coach of the Year committee and Division I representative to the CGAA Board.
Koury graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1993 with a degree in engineering mechanics. Following graduation, he was stationed in San Antonio, Texas, where he served as a research and development engineer for robotics technologies. In 1996, he moved to Okinawa, Japan, and served as a civil engineer until returning to the Academy in June of 1999.
Current Defense Department and Air Force Academy rules require all individuals to wear a mask inside Academy facilities. All individuals who have not been fully vaccinated must wear masks outside on military installations.
Assistant golf coach Tyler Goulding, a 2007 Academy graduate who is in his sixth season with the program, has been named interim coach.
"George Koury will be an outstanding teammate and asset to our department in this new role," Pine said. "His passion for Air Force athletics and his unique perspective from being an Academy graduate, Air Force officer and experienced head coach who is familiar with our unique recruiting process is important. I am also confident that our men's golf program is in capable hands with Coach Goulding as the interim head coach while we execute our head coach search. I know he will help grow our program and continue to develop leaders of character for our Air Force and Space Force."
"I am extremely humbled to have Mr. Pine and Ms. Block put their confidence in me to follow two life-long servants, Jim Bowman and Trapper Carpenter, who have impacted every student athlete to ever walk through the doors of the Academy," Koury said. "Over the last 19 years, it has been my privilege, along with many fine assistant coaches, to work with and develop some of the finest young men and women around. I owe a great deal of gratitude to legendary Hall of Fame Coach Gene Miranda for giving me an opportunity to get a high-level of education and play golf at the Academy and also for bringing me back to my alma mater and learning under his terrific mentorship. Today, I am anxious to continue to serve the Academy in this new role."
Before taking over the program as head coach in 2002, Koury spent three seasons as an assistant, working with both the varsity and the junior varsity programs. He was also a member of the Falcons' golf team from 1990-93, where he served as team captain and earned MVP honors in his final year.
Koury began his head coaching career at the start of the 2002-03 season, when he took over for legendary coach Gene Miranda, who had spent 25 years at the helm of the Falcons' program. The transition from assistant to head coach was seamless for Koury. Koury has found success throughout his stint with Air Force.
In 2016-17, the Falcons tied for the fourth-best finish in school history at the Mountain West Championships. The Falcons placed seventh, the best finish since 2014.
In 2012-13, the Falcons shattered the Academy record for team scoring average by more than five strokes per tournament, while also posting a school-record three-round total of 829 -- a score that bettered the previous record by 11 strokes -- during a winning performance at the Jackrabbit Invitational.
The Falcons finished fourth at the Mountain West Championships during back-to-back years (2013, 2014) to match the best team finish at a conference tournament in program history. He also coached Kyle Westmoreland to a fourth-place individual finish in 2014, which was the best conference finish since 1985.
He has helped the Falcons continue their unprecedented dominance at the annual Service Academy Golf Classic, bringing home the championship trophy in each of his seasons at the helm of the program.
In the fall of 2005, Koury helped guide Air Force to a first-place finish at the season-opening Falcon Invitational, marking the team's first outright championship at its own tournament since 1969.
Air Force, which claimed another Falcon Invitational title in 2013, has recorded 13 team wins under Koury's leadership. Koury has also been successful in recruiting, bringing in several players that have started as freshmen, including Westmoreland, 2007 graduate Tyler Goulding, who ranks among the most successful golfers in Academy history, and 2010 graduate Tom Whitney, a participant in both the 2009 U.S. Publinks and U.S. Amateur Tournaments.
Koury guided both Goulding and Whitney to all-conference honors, while Goulding, Whitney and Westmoreland all qualified to the NCAA Regional Championships. Koury has also coached three of All-America Scholars in Whitney, 2005 graduate Scott Redmond and 2017 graduate Dane Hankamer.
Both Whitney and Westmoreland have continued to excel on the course after completing their military commitments. Westmoreland became the first Academy graduate to qualify for, and make the cut in, the U.S. Open in 2021. The U.S. Open was his third PGA Tour event and he has also played in several Korn Ferry events as well. Whitney has played in three PGA Tour events and has competed in more than 100 professional events, combining the PGA Tour, PGA Latinoamerica and Korn Ferry.
Meanwhile, Koury's golfers hold 20 of the 25 lowest individual tournament scores in school history. A constant supporter of the game, Koury has served as numerous committees for the Golf Coaches Association of America, including the chair of the Coach of the Year committee and Division I representative to the CGAA Board.
Koury graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1993 with a degree in engineering mechanics. Following graduation, he was stationed in San Antonio, Texas, where he served as a research and development engineer for robotics technologies. In 1996, he moved to Okinawa, Japan, and served as a civil engineer until returning to the Academy in June of 1999.
Current Defense Department and Air Force Academy rules require all individuals to wear a mask inside Academy facilities. All individuals who have not been fully vaccinated must wear masks outside on military installations.
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