BECKLEY, W.Va. -- WVU Tech men's golf head coach Garrett Goosman has been named the 2025-26 River States Conference Coach of Character, an honor recognizing coaches who intentionally develop student-athletes through the NAIA Champions of Character core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. As the River States Conference recipient, Goosman will also be nominated for the NAIA Coach of Character Award at the national level.
While his teams have earned conference championships, conference honors and consistent academic success, it is the relationships Goosman builds with his student-athletes that define his program.
For Goosman, teaching character has always been just as important as teaching golf. Every day, he models the values he asks of his student-athletes through the way he leads, serves others and builds relationships.
Since arriving at WVU Tech, Goosman has built a culture centered on servant leadership, responsibility, integrity, respect and genuine care for others. From the first recruiting conversation, he tells every student-athlete that joining the Golden Bear golf program means becoming part of a family that will support them throughout college and long after graduation.
That commitment is especially evident with the many international student-athletes who have competed for the Golden Bears. Goosman and his family routinely provide transportation, open their home before flights and school breaks and help students navigate the challenges of being thousands of miles from home.
His philosophy extends to the smallest details of daily life. Student-athletes are expected to clean out golf carts after a round, help course staff when needed and represent themselves, their teammates and WVU Tech with professionalism. By emphasizing those everyday habits, Goosman teaches that character is built through consistent choices rather than isolated moments.
The same expectations carry into the classroom. His teams have consistently maintained strong GPAs, earned NAIA Scholar Team recognition and produced numerous All-Academic student-athletes while embracing the responsibility of representing the university with integrity.
Those relationships continue long after graduation.
Goosman has never missed the graduation ceremony of one of his senior student-athletes. He remains a mentor to former players, attends their weddings and continues celebrating their accomplishments long after they leave campus. The lasting relationships he has built speak to the trust and respect he has earned throughout his coaching career.
His servant leadership extends beyond his own program as well. When a fellow coach lost a parent, Goosman drove four hours simply to be there and offer support. It was a quiet act that reflected the type of person he is every day, someone who consistently puts others before himself without expecting recognition.
Whether it's helping a student-athlete feel at home, supporting a colleague during a difficult time or teaching the importance of doing the little things the right way, Goosman has built a program where character is more than a slogan. It is part of the culture. That commitment has left a lasting impact on generations of Golden Bears and earned him recognition as the River States Conference Coach of Character.
