Western Illinois University Athletics

Beth Golitko enters her second season as the head coach of Western Illinois softball after the interim tag was dropped on Monday (Dec. 18, 2017). Golitko has spent 10 seasons around the Leatherneck softball program as a player, graduate assistant coach and assistant coach.
 
 Golitko played for the Fighting Leathernecks from 2008-11, when she appeared in 160 games and made 133 starts in the outfield. Golitko ended her four-year career with a .326 average, 70 runs scored, 143 hits, 33 doubles, nine home runs and 81 RBIs.
 
As a graduate assistant at Western Illinois, she mentored student-athletes to a 3.37 team GPA, which ranked as the fifth-highest team GPA at Western for that semester.
After receiving her master's degree from WIU, she served as an assistant at Cleveland State, where she helped guide two Horizon League First Team All-Conference players.
 
During her time as an assistant coach for Leatherneck Softball, she helped coach the team to 56 victories and two Summit League Championship victories against South Dakota State and North Dakota State in 2017. In addition to the first Summit League Championship victories and an 11-7 Summit League record, she coached Summit League 'Pitcher of the Year' Emily Ira. 
 
In November of 2014, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association named her a One-Star Master Coach.
 
"I'm very excited and honored to be given the opportunity to lead the Western Illinois softball program. I would like to thank Matt Tanney and the entire administration for giving me this chance and for their support," said Golitko. "I have been in the Purple and Gold for over nine years and it is so exciting to be at the helm of Leatherneck Softball. I believe in this team and this program and I can't wait to continue the winning tradition at Western Illinois."