BEAVERTON, Ore. (January 22, 2007) – Nike Golf announced today the appointment of golf industry veteran Marlin "Cricket" Musch to the position of College Amateur Golf Manager. In that important capacity, Musch will oversee all of Nike Golf’s collegiate, junior and amateur golf categories with an emphasis on bolstering Nike Golf’s visibility in each segment.
"Cricket is highly regarded throughout the golf industry, and we are obviously excited to have him enhance the strength and depth of our sports marketing team," said Nike Golf’s U.S. Director of Sports Marketing, Mark Thaxton. "With his considerable experience, he will be instrumental in elevating Nike Golf’s college, junior and amateur involvement to a new level, which is a critical component to the continued success of our business."
Musch will manage Nike Golf’s six elite collegiate teams: Stanford; University of Texas; University of Arizona; University of Southern California; University of Georgia; and Wake Forest University; as well as the numerous other universities with which Nike Golf is associated. He also will be responsible for identifying collegiate talent and increasing Nike Golf’s visibility in the junior golf market. As a step to accelerate Nike Golf’s growth in the junior golf segment, Musch will be responsible for hiring additional staff to support his initiatives.
Musch has 25 years of experience in strategic planning for amateur, college and tour golf program development as it relates to marketing and branding. Most recently in the industry, Musch served as the Vice President of Business Development at Gaylord Sports Management, where he directed the college athletics management division. He also was the Player Manager, responsible for all aspects of player representation.
From 1992 – 2003, Musch held various positions at PING Golf. For five years, Musch was the Director of the Tournament Player Division, where he was charged with managing the company’s worldwide tour program, strategic planning and program development for all tours worldwide. Prior to that, Musch was the College and Senior Tour representative responsible for implementation and development of the company’s college and amateur program.
Musch also acquired coaching experience while serving as the Head Golf Coach at the University of Texas at El Paso for nine years. In 1988, Musch earned the honor of NCAA Division 1 National Coach of the Year. Musch is a graduate of New Mexico State University, where he was a NCAA All-America Honorable Mention golfer. He will reside in Phoenix, Arizona.
Located in Beaverton, Oregon, Nike Golf designs and markets golf equipment, apparel, balls, footwear, bags and accessories worldwide. Nike Golf is passionately dedicated to honoring and respecting the traditions and heritage of the game, and to providing committed golfers with the absolute best equipment in the game. In 2007, Nike Golf’s PGA Tour Staff has had three top-10 finishes and one international victory. In 2006, Nike Golf accumulated 16 PGA tour victories and 67 top-10 finishes, as well as one victory on the Nationwide Tour and 11 additional international wins. For more information on Nike Golf, visit our Web site at www.nikegolf.com. Editors and journalists in the U.S. seeking editorial information and downloadable images, visit www.nikegolf.com/presscenter. For international journalists, please contact Nike Golf’s public relations representative in respective countries for information.
Contact:
Beth Gast – Nike Golf
(503) 532-8852
Beth.Gast@nike.com
Covering the business of golf!
