Brendan Goler recently wrapped up his eighth year with the University of Minnesota Morris in 2024.
Coach Goler started as an assistant coach for the softball and women’s soccer programs in July of 2016. He then transitioned to assist the men's soccer program in July of 2018 while also being promoted to being the associate head coach for the softball program. Prior to the 2023 season, he left the men's soccer program to focus solely on softball. He is responsible for the Cougar pitchers, infielders and catchers.
The 2024 softball squad set the program record for wins with 28, as well as the longest winning streak in program history with 18 victories in a row. With a 15-3 UMAC record, the Cougars earned a share of the regular season conference title for the first time in program history. The 2024 team also set new records for total hits, stolen bases, fielding percentage, RBI’s, runs scored, walks, strikeouts and ERA.
For the first time in program history, the Cougars placed two on the NFCA All-Region Team with Alyssa Thornton earning a spot on the second team and Skyla Bristol earning a spot on the third team, respectively. Goler helped guide Thornton to the highest single season winning percentage in program history in the circle while also helping Bristol set the lowest ERA in a single season in program history. The 2024 pitching staff finished in the top 75 in the country for lowest team ERA as well as finishing in the top 30 in the country for strikeout/walk ratio. The pitching staff also finished 21st in the country for the most strikeouts. Individually, Bristol finished the year in the top 80 in the country for lowest ERA as well as finishing in the top 30 in the country for the lowest number of hits given up/7 innings. Bristol also finished in the top 40 for strikeouts as well as finishing third in the country for strikeouts per 7 innings with 11.1 per game. At the same time, Thornton finished 20th in the country for strikeout/walk ratio as well as 30th for walks/7 innings.Â
The 2022 campaign was highlighted by an opening round victory over the top ranked University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets after the Cougars returned to the UMAC Tournament. The pitching staff recorded the 7th most strikeouts in program history as well as the 9th lowest walks in a season. The 2022 season marked the end of both Mollie Dummer and Grace Penke’s pitching careers for the Cougars. In just three complete seasons, due to Covid-19, both pitchers littered the career record books. Dummer recorded top 10 career marks in five categories, most notably finishing second in career strikeouts, innings pitched and wins. Penke entered the career record books in four areas, highlighted by the lowest walks given up in a career and the second fewest earned runs allowed.
Following the shortened 2020 season due to Covid-19, the 2021 season was highlighted by a new program record for fielding percentage with a .950 mark. The pitching staff entered the program record books by recording the seventh-most strikeouts in program history at the time.
In his third season with the program, Goler helped the Cougar softball program to the sixth-most wins in a season in the program’s history with 16. He helped the Cougars return to the UMAC Conference Tournament as the fifth seed after being picked to finish seventh in the preseason.
He worked closely with the Cougar pitching staff and saw the pitchers place in the top 10 in the Minnesota Morris softball record books in six categories. Also working closely with the offense, the Cougar hitters littered the record book in 2019 with top-10 all time placements in over 20 offensive categories highlighted by new records in total bases, hits and doubles in a season.
The 2019 season ended with two student-athletes being named to the UMAC All-Conference teams. In Goler’s second season, the 2018 Cougars entered the top ten in the Minnesota Morris record books in 12 categories. Goler helped place three student-athletes on the UMAC All-Conference teams in 2018. In his first year on the diamond, Goler helped the Cougar defense post the second-highest fielding percentage in program history as well as the most doubles in a season.
The 2017 team jumped into the top ten in the record books in 14 categories and ended the season by placing three student-athletes on the UMAC All-Conference teams. Since joining the softball program and taking over as the recruiting coordinator, Goler has quickly helped grow the softball roster from 15 to 25 student-athletes.
A graduate of NCAA Division III Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, Goler played three seasons on the men's soccer team and served as the kicker for the football team for the 2013 campaign. Goler received Academic All-NACC recognition in his sophomore season and was a three-time NACC Scholar-Athlete in his three seasons suiting up for the Eagles.
After his college days at Benedictine, Goler briefly played and practiced as a reserve for Concepcion of the Chilean Professional B league.
Goler graduated from Benedictine University in May of 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in bilingual journalism (Spanish) and added a master’s degree in education from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2020.
Goler and his wife, Allison, live in Herman.
