Indiana University Northwest Director of Athletics Kristofer Schnatz officially introduced Ryan Bishop (Crown Point, IN) as the RedHawks head golf coach.
“I am honored and humbled to be named the head coach here at IU Northwest. My family and I are excited about joining the RedHawk Athletic Family,” Bishop said.
Bishop is a USGTF Level III Certified Golf Teaching Professional and a member of the World Golf Teachers Federation.
“Ryan is passionate about golf and coaching. We think that he is a great fit for our university and our growing program,” Schnatz said.
After a career in finance as an options broker on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange and working as a financial advisor for five PNC branch locations, Ryan decided to pursue his passion in the game of golf, turning professional in March of 2012.
Most recently, he has served the past two years as the junior varsity and varsity assistant golf coach at Crown Point High School.
“I knew that it would take a unique opportunity for me to leave Crown Point High School and that is clearly how I view this situation,” Bishop said. “I look forward to building a competitive team environment that not only produces good golfers, but great individuals.”
As the newest addition to the RedHawk Athletics Program, Ryan is prepared to dedicate his skills and expertise to the university. He will take charge of the recruiting efforts that have already begun on campus as the buzz of the maturing athletics department continues to swell.
“Ryan is connected to our local high school student-athletes, which we believe will help his recruiting efforts as he prepares to develop our IU Northwest Golf Program,” added Schnatz.
Both the men’s and women’s team will compete in the NAIA Association of Independents Conference (A.I.I.). The RedHawk golf teams will practice at their home courses, The Brassie (Chesterton, IN) and South Gleason (Gary, IN). The program has plans to host home tournaments as early as next season at The Brassie Golf Course.
“Having access to The Brassie and South Gleason will allow us to accommodate our students who live in both Porter and Lake County,” Schnatz said. “We are thrilled with the partnerships that we have been able to establish outside our campus community as we continue to build our program throughout the Region.”
Coach Bishop is a Ball State University Alumni and has lived in Crown Point for more than 20 years, where he currently resides with his wife and two daughters.