Frank Marsaglia is the head coach for both the men and women’s golf team at UIS. He is in his seventh year coaching for the men and has been coaching for both teams for the past five.

Marsaglia has a very versatile athletic background, with experience not only in the field of golf.  When asked about his athletic background, he said it originated with collegiate baseball at Florida Atlantic University.

After his career in baseball ended, he decided to move back to central Illinois, where he began a career in computers, as he later started his own computer business. Not only does he still have his own computer business but he also manages to find the time to teach at Lincoln Land Community College in the computer department.

In regards to golf, he said that he “has been playing all [his] life but got back seriously after [he] got out of college.” Marsaglia competed in local tournaments and eventually acquired the job as the head coach of the golf team where he has helped UIS reach the top 15 ranking in the region in the 2015-2016 season.

Since the beginning of his coaching career here at UIS, the team has been quite successful. For instance, the men’s golf team has finished back-to-back years in the semi-finals of the GLVC tournament. Additionally, the women’s golf team is currently ranked tenth in the east region.

When asked what drew him into coaching at UIS, Marsaglia said “my overall goal is providing [the athletes] with an experience that they will never forget.” Marsaglia believes he is doing just that.

Marsaglia also stated that he wants to make sure his players are happy with being on the team and enjoying their experience while also building relationships with fellow teammates.

Marsaglia said one thing he appreciates about coaching is “watching the kids grow and get better.” For instance, Marsaglia said he enjoyed watching one of his recent players “go from a middle of the pack player to the top player in the conference”.

The golf program at UIS has made a big impact on not only the campus here but also interestingly in Puerto Rico. UIS started a tournament three years ago which has “had over a $200,000 impact on the economy of Puerto Rico and on the economy here in different towns.”

Marsaglia said that due to the other tournaments hosted by UIS, such as the NCAA Super Regional, the GLVC Championship, as well as other tournaments, there has been a $100,000 impact on the economy in Springfield as well.

Not only does Marsaligia believe the UIS golf team has made an impact on the economy but he also believes it has made an impact socially as the interest in the sport of golf has risen over the past decade. Marsaligia hopes to continue this progressive trend in the future.