Bio

Jim Socha enters his 17th season as the V-Hawk men’s golf head coach. Socha has been the only head coach in program history and has continued to build a program with a tradition for academic and athletic success. Socha has helped produce one All-American, an MCC Individual Champion, 16 NAIA Scholar-Athletes, 26 All-Conference performers, and a team that has spent time in the NAIA Top-25 national polls.

The V-Hawks hosted the two spring rounds of the NSAA Championships in 2016 and shined at a familiar course. Viterbo recorded the best spring round score (598) as they finished second overall. The V-Hawks had four All-Conference participants in 2016.

In 2015-16, the V-Hawks placed second in their first year in the NSAA Tournament, carding a 72-hole score of 1230. Viterbo landed two First Team All-NSAA honorees and won the Second Team All-NSAA with their finishes at the conference meet.

In 2014-15, Viterbo earned two first place finishes including topping nine other teams at their own Ronnie Eastman Invitational. The two day score of 590 is the sixth best in school history and the V-Hawks best score since a 588 in 2012.

Socha led the V-Hawks to yet another victory at the Edgewood College Invite to begin the 2013-14 season. Viterbo rounded out the season at the three-day Midwest Collegiate Conference meet with a seventh place finish, but had one individual in the top-ten.

In 2012-13, the V-Hawks had eight top five team finishes including winning the very competitive Edgewood College Invite as well as finishing second at the AIB Invitational. Last year’s schedule was no different than any other year either as it had plenty of tournaments with teams ranked nationally both in the NAIA and the NCAA. Viterbo finished fifth at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships.

The top season in program history to date came during the 2010-11 season which was highlighted by having the programs first MCC individual champion and NAIA national championship qualifier. Senior Derrick Meier won the MCC title and competed at the NAIA national championships while also being named a NAIA Second Team All-American. As a team, the V-Hawks won four tournament titles and had six top three finishes.

This is Socha’s only experience as a head golf coach but he has had plenty of success as a player. Socha continues to play in several local tournaments and played in the 2001 Wisconsin State Open. One of Socha’s top finishes came when he finished third at the 2006 Wisconsin State Golf Association Father-Son tournament. Socha is also in his 14th season as the V-Hawks men and women’s bowling team.

When Socha is not playing or coaching golf/bowling, he is the president of Socha Marketing. Prior to his current duties, Socha was the former Sports Director at WKBT Television from 1993-2000. While with WKBT, Socha covered the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI and the Wisconsin Badgers in the 1994 Rose Bowl.

Socha graduated from UW-Whitewater where he lettered four times in cross country and earned a speech communications degree. He and his wife, Tracey, have two children and live in Onalaska, WI. Their son Ben is in his second season as a member of the golf and basketball teams at St. Norbert College and their daughter Ellie attends Onalaska High School.