Mike Mueller
Head Coach

Park University Director of Athletics Claude English has named Mike Mueller as the school’s second head women’s golf coach in program history, effective Sept. 10, 2009.

Mueller (pronounced Miller), an 11-year veteran in the golf business, is a Class-A PGA Professional and currently works as a teaching pro at The National Golf Club of Kansas City, a 36-hole private golf club that has been recognized as a Top 100 Golf Community in America for four-consecutive years.

The National also serves as Park University’s home practice and tournament facility.

“Coaching a college golf team has long been a dream of mine, and I look forward to building on the tradition of both athletic and academic excellence at Park University,” Mueller said. “I feel that we can be a program that can compete with the best schools nationally. The combination of a beautiful campus with high academic standards, a great place to practice and play at The National and our location should allow us to recruit quality student-athletes.”

Prior to his stop at The National, Mueller was the owner and Director of Instruction for the Golf Academy of the Northland, a full-service instructional program at Shoal Creek Golf Club in Kansas City.

He has also made local stops at Truman State University, where he was an instructor, teaching an eight-week golf course each semester. The teaching role came in conjunction with his work as the Head Golf Professional and General Manager of Kirksville Country Club, in Kirksville, Mo.

Mueller got his start in the golf business at Bryan Park Golf Club in Greensboro, N.C., where he was the assistant golf professional from September of 1997 to August of 2002. From Greensboro, he moved on to Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Ga., where he was also assistant golf professional for another Top 100 club with 500 club members.

Mueller holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education (1996) from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and a master’s degree in counseling and educational development from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

“We’re excited to have Mike as a member of our staff,” English said. “He brings a wealth of experience, and he has a great ability to teach the game. He has tremendous golf knowledge, but more importantly, he is committed to the academic success of our student-athletes.”

“We have a group of outstanding young women who have proven that they can play at a high level both individually and as a team,” Mueller said. “My goal for these players is to help them achieve their full potential during their time here at Park.”

Ashley Nicks
Assistant Coach

Ashley Nicks is in her first season as an assistant coach for the Park University women’s golf  program after playing for four years at Park under head coach Kelly DeFeo, from 2004 to 2008.

Nicks was the MCAC Player of the Year in 2007-08, winning the MCAC crown at Alvamar Golf Club in Lawrence, Kan., and she was also Regional Runner-up at Sunflower Hills, helping the Pirates to the school’s first-ever Region IV title and trip to the NAIA national tournament in San Diego, Calif. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Nicks is one of two Pirates in school history with an individual conference title to her credit, and she was the first-ever No. 1 player in Park history to lead her team to a national tournament appearance.
 
In addition to her coaching duties at Park, Nicks currently serves on the golf staff at The National Golf Club of Kansas City.