His life reads like an American Express commercial. You know, the one with Tiger where he's hitting balls in the rain… talking about how he spends his days off? Problem is, he has no days off. Well Tigers' got it easy, he's only trying to shape a four-iron from 230; he's not at the forefront of building an elite collegiate golf program. However, Brandon Goethals is. And he knows the feeling.

Twenty years ago if your son was an elite athlete and a fine young man you sent them to North Carolina to learn under Dean Smith or Notre Dame to be coached by Lou Holtz. And today, if your son's a talented golfer you're going to send them to Pacific. Because as a parent, you want your son mentored by a coach focused on graduating and preparing fine young men for success in life and in the community. If you're a college golfer you want to make a name for yourself and win. And under Goethals, you're going to get that chance.

Pacific golf coach Brandon Goethals has an extraordinary task in front of him. He left national powerhouse Georgia Tech a little more than a year ago to start something at the University of the Pacific. His goal is to build a national championship caliber team in the heart of the San Joaquin valley. And while he's not there yet you better believe he's on his way.

The Pacific golf team, a stellar program throughout the early 80's and 90's, is rebuilding for success. Marginal showings in the last few years were not due to a lack of effort, but rather a lack of direction. Under Goethals the Tigers now have a vision. The former UNLV standout has made the metamorphosis from college golfer to professional tour player to assistant coach at Georgia Tech and now he is trying something else by moving into the head coaching ranks with the Tigers.

Goethals jumped into his vision of turning Pacific into a champion by starting with the details, the basics, and working his way up. While the term perfectionist draws negative connotations he is without a doubt one; in the best sense of the word. This is not a man who overlooks details and every essence of his demeanor voices that. And in turn, it speaks for the program.

This is a coach that asks nothing for his players that he isn't willing to do himself. He demands that his players go to class and work hard; in response he's up at 5 am everyday working easily past dark. He wants his players to be in peak physical shape. So does he check on them in the weight room? Oh no… he workouts WITH them! He requests that Pacific players dress well, are polite and carry themselves with a certain air and confidence. Goethals? He wakes up every morning looking like he walked straight out of J Crew catalog. All those things don't necessarily translate into low scores on the golf course and wins in the tournament book but to doubt the importance of the details would be to look over a glaring characteristic. You must walk before you can run.

And the Tigers are past walking and working on a steady jog. Last season they recorded seven Top-10 finishes; three more than in 2004-05. On average the team had more Top-25 individual finishes and overall scores last year than they did two years ago. They finished seventh at the Big West Tournament two years ago; last year, fifth. Those numbers aren't a lie and they aren't a fluke. They're a small sign of growth.

But you don't build a program and dynasty on improving numbers alone; you do the things that Coach Goethals has done since he returned to Northern California. You reach out to the community and get them involved. Check. Goethals has established a Pacific golf committee of not only prominent but passionate people in Stockton to work on the needs of the program. You establish a home course and give the team identity. Check. The Tigers now call Brookside Country Club its home course after joining together with the premier country club this past fall. You land nationally ranked recruits to improve the team. Check, Check, Check.

And above all you make Pacific Golf more than an organization, you make it a family that people can get excited about and want to be a part of. You run a PGA Tour like tournament and make people want to come back and be a part of it all. Come to the Pacific Invitational, you can make your own check.

So no one's at fault if the name "Pacific" isn't synonymous with "elite golf". Goethals has only been at the helm for a year; direction, leadership and victories take time, money and above all effort. Give it time though, because this man has a vision and has the desire. The only thing he doesn't have…are days off.