OXFORD, Ohio- The River States Conference is pleased to announce the selection of WVU Tech men's golf coach Garrett Goosman as the 2025-26 River States Conference Coach of Character. Goosman is a history-making award-winner for both his school and his sport, as the West Virginia native is both the first Golden Bear and the first golf coach to be honored by the conference.
The RSC Coach of Character award is patterned after the NAIA award of the same name. It is given annually to a head coach who has been outstanding in embracing the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character program using methods of teaching character through sport and in community leadership through volunteering or service.
The five character values of NAIA Champions of Character are Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership and Sportsmanship. The award was first established in the conference in 2015-16. As the conference honoree, Goosman will have his name forwarded to the national level as a nominee for the NAIA Coach of Character Award.
In a nomination for Goosman, WVU Tech Athletic Communications Director Becky Brouse Davis stated Goosman is a true embodiment of the NAIA's core values, both on and off the golf course.
"What makes Garrett unique is the way he treats his student-athletes.; from the moment he recruits a player, they become family," Brouse Davis said. "This is especially true for the many international student-athletes who come to WVU Tech from thousands of miles away, as Garrett and his family regularly open their home to players, provide transportation when needed and ensure that every student-athlete feels supported and valued."
In an essay written for his nomination, Goosman spotlighted golf as one of the sports that, at its core, represents the same core values as the national association.
"Golf is a sport defined by etiquette, self-regulation and deep respect for the game's integrity," Goosman wrote. "Because there are no officials monitoring every swing, accountability falls entirely on the athlete; we emphasize this through strict adherence to the honor system, even during casual practice rounds, because true integrity means recording an accurate score and holding teammates to that same high standard."
Under Goosman’s leadership, the Golden Bear golf program has seen steady growth and success since joining the River States Conference (RSC) in 2015. He is a two-time River States Conference Coach of the Year, and led the Golden Bears to a RSC Fall Preview title in 2025. Off the course, Goosman has guided the program to multiple NAIA Scholar Team honors and has consistently maintained a team GPA above 3.00, often among the highest of Tech’s 17 varsity sports. The team has produced numerous All-Academic selections.
YEAR BY YEAR -- RIVER STATES CONFERENCE COACH OF CHARACTER AWARD WINNERS
2015-16 -- Samantha DeMartine (Asbury), Softball Head Coach
2016-17 -- Tiffani Selhorst (IU East), Women's Basketball Head Coach
2017-18 -- Chris Hammond (Rio Grande), Softball Head Coach
2018-19 -- John Mills (Alice Lloyd), Women's Basketball Head Coach
2019-20 -- Will Shouse (Asbury), Men's Basketball Head Coach
2020-21 -- Sherrill Smith (Midway), Women's Soccer Head Coach
2021-22 -- Ken French (Oakland City), Men's Basketball Head Coach
2022-23 -- Wiley Brown (IU Southeast), Men's Basketball Head Coach
2023-24 -- Devan Spriggs (Shawnee State), Volleyball Head Coach
2024-25 -- Jay Walls (Midway), Cross Country Head Coach
2025-26 -- Garrett Goosman (WVU Tech), Men's Golf Head Coach