University of Minnesota Director of Golf Brad James announced today that Andrew Tank and Kris Wessinger have been named associate head coaches for the Golden Gopher men’s and women’s golf teams. Tank just completed his fifth season as assistant men’s golf coach, while Wessinger was the women’s interim head coach in 2007 after serving as an assistant coach from 2002-06. James was named Director of Golf on June 15.
“We’re extremely lucky at Minnesota to have Andrew and Kris, and I wanted to make sure they remained here as Gophers,” James said. “I’m convinced we have a staff that can assist me in making Minnesota a consistent national golf power. I know I can speak for Andrew and Kris when I say we’re excited for the future of Golden Gopher golf.”
A member of the Minnesota golf team from 1997-2002 and the captain of the 2002 Big Ten and NCAA National Championship Team, Tank has assisted James with all aspects of the men’s program, including recruiting and player development. He has experience in recruiting players at the local, state, national and international levels.
Tank also has served as tournament director for the Gopher Invitational, overseeing all tournament operations, including volunteers, rules officials, visiting team accommodations, pre-tournament publicity and corporate sponsorships.
Tank graduated from the Carlson School of Management with a degree in accounting and finance. A three-time Top-Five Scholar Athlete, he is currently pursuing a M.Ed. in Applied Kinesiology.
Tank is an apprentice in the PGA of America’s Professional Golf Management Program and is an instructor at the University of Minnesota Golf Institute. He conducts group and private instruction with Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor Gerald McCullagh.
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Tank resides in Minneapolis.
On Dec. 13, 2006, Wessinger was named the interim head coach of the Golden Gopher women’s golf program after the resignation of Katie Hanneman. Hanneman had been on maternity leave during the fall 2006 season and entrusted the program to her assistant of four and a half years. After the birth of her first child, Hanneman left to care for her new family and Wessinger took the reins of the program that she has helped build from the ground up. During the fall 2006 season, Wessinger led the Gophers to a tournament victory at the DeBary Intercollegiate to end the fall season.
As an assistant under Hanneman, Wessinger was involved in all aspects of the golf program. She assisted with recruiting, administration of the women’s golf booster club, and has been recognized as one of the best young golf instructors in the state of Minnesota.
Wessinger came to the U’ from the University of St. Thomas where she was a three-year all-conference performer for the Tommies. The team captain her junior and senior years, Wessinger competed in the Division III national championships twice during her collegiate playing career and was the 1999 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion.
A native of Minneapolis, Wessinger has worked at the Golden Valley Golf and Country Club as a junior golf instructor and graduated from St. Thomas with a bachelor of arts degree in sociology.
Wessinger and her husband, Nick, live in Minneapolis.
