- - - - - Press release courtesy of New Jersey City University Athletic Communications - - - - -

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Joseph Yeck, the assistant men's and women's golf coach at Drew University and formerly McDaniel College, has been named the fourth head coach in the history of the New Jersey City University men's golf team.
 
Yeck succeeds Brian Ferrante `13, who coached the program since the 2014-15 season before relocating to the West Coast this winter. Yeck will also join NJCU later this spring in its Admissions Office.
 
Yeck comes to NJCU from Drew where he served as assistant men's and women's golf coach of the Madison, N.J. program since its inception in September, 2016. After a year as a club program in 2016-17, both were elevated to varsity status in the Fall, 2017 semester. Yeck helped build both programs and recruit its first student-athletes, oversaw team practices and instruction and helped organize the Blue & Green Athletic Department Golf Tournament.
 
"Being an assistant coach at Drew and McDaniel has definitely prepared me to be a head coach," Yeck noted. "I have had the fortunate opportunity to learn from two great mentors who have been around the game for a long time. I will be able to use a lot of what I learned from them in addition to my own ideas and goals to help create a winning program. I am honored to lead this program and thank everyone at NJCU that was involved with the search in giving me this wonderful opportunity."
 
At Drew he also served as admissions counselor and athletics liaison from August 2012 through June 2015 before being promoted to assistant director in July, 2015.
 
Prior to Drew, Yeck served two seasons as assistant men's golf coach for the competitive McDaniel College program from May, 2010 to June, 2012. During his time in Westminster, Md., the Green Terror won the 2011 Centennial Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships in North Carolina. At McDaniel, he assisted in practice and oversaw golf tournaments, recruitment, scheduling, fundraising and monitoring academic performance of student-athletes.
 
Ira Thor, NJCU director of athletic communications, chaired the search and said: "During the interview process, Joe stood out. He is bright, organized and has demonstrated a vision to help build upon the great work of previous coach Brian Ferrante. Joe laid out an encouraging, well-thought-out plan that will allow the men's golf program to continue its growth and upward trajectory, will enhance player instruction, continue the development of our hard-working student athletes and expand the competitiveness of the program. The full student-athlete experience is important to us at NJCU and we are excited for Joe to begin."
 
Yeck added: "My number one goal for the golf program is to help offer student-athletes at NJCU an opportunity to continue to play the game they love while earning a great education. I want to recruit student-athletes who are great kids on and off the golf course and will want to work as hard in the classroom as they do on the golf course. It will take a lot of hard work and commitment, but I want to help our players become better golfers from the time they enter our program to the time they finish while having fun doing it. I look forward to continuing the success already established and taking it to an even higher level and to compete for conference championships in the future."
 
Yeck's introduction to collegiate golf coaching came as a counselor at the Nike Golf Camp at Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.) in June 2009 and June 2011.
 
At McDaniel, he also served as a graduate assistant men's basketball coach from August 2008 through May 2010. The Green Terror won a school-record 18 games (18-8) in 2008-09.
 
Yeck earned a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management with minors in Business Administration, Marketing and Athletic Administration from York College of Pennsylvania in August, 2007. A Dean's List student, he graduated with a 3.60 grade point average. Yeck added a Masters of Business Administration from Mount Saint Mary's University (Emmitsburg, Md.) in December 2009, graduating with a 3.63 GPA.
 
Yeck was a four-year, two-sport athlete and multi-team captain for the Spartans from 2003-07. A two-year captain of the men's golf team from 2005-07, he earned the Division III Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar Award as a senior in 2006-07. He fired a career-low round of 71 to tie for second place at the Susquehanna Fall Invitational.
 
On the court, he was captain of York's men's basketball team as a senior. His basketball teams compiled 80 wins in the four years he was on the team, and he was part of the 2004-05 squad that reached the Division III Final Four and went 28-4. As a sophomore that season, he played in all 32 of the team's games. As a junior, the Spartans went 25-4, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A sensational free throw shooter, he shot 89.2 percent from the line in four years (116-130). He played in 95 total games as a point guard (26 starts as a senior), scoring 410 points and dishing 202 assists with 160 rebounds.
 
Yeck, 33, is a graduate of Gettysburg High School in Gettysburg, Pa. where he lettered in golf, basketball and baseball. He resides in River Vale, N.J. with his wife, Caitlin and daughter, Madelyn.