EAST STROUDSBURG - Dustin McCormick, an assistant golf pro and head teaching professional at the Water Gap Country Club, has been named the first head coach of the women's golf program at East Stroudsburg University.

McCormick has been hired to guide and develop the program, which was added this spring as the university's 22nd varsity sport and will begin competition in the fall.

ESU will join California, Clarion, Kutztown and West Chester as PSAC institutions that sponsor women's golf, along with Gannon and Mercyhurst, who will enter the PSAC as part of the conference's expansion in 2008-09.

"Dustin's connections to the golf community in the Poconos, his energy and enthusiasm for the position and expertise as a player and teacher of the game made him the ideal head coaching candidate as we launch our women's golf program," said Dr. Tom Gioglio, ESU's Director of Athletics.

McCormick, a graduate of East Stroudsburg South High School, was a four-year letterwinner and a three-time first team All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) selection at Moravian College in Bethlehem. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Moravian in 2006.

He is currently pursuing his Level One Class A pro certification from the Professional Golf Association (PGA) and was a regional qualifier for the 2007 U.S. Open after finishing third out of 85 golfers at the Philmont Country Club.

In 2006, McCormick passed the Players Ability Test (PAT) for Level One of the PGA, shooting consecutive rounds under 75 in the same day at Penn State's blue and white courses. He was one of three teaching pros in the field of 65 to successfully complete the test.

McCormick has been an assistant pro at the Water Gap Country Club since 2006 and was the originator of the club's Short Game Academy. He has also taught private golf lessons in the Poconos for the last four years.

At Moravian, McCormick won several medalist honors and finished in the top five in an event 23 times during his career. He was the captain of the school's first MAC championship team in 10 years in 2006.

He also started and coordinated the women's golf club on campus to support and encourage participation in women's golf.

As a student at East Stroudsburg South, McCormick was the team MVP and a District XI qualifier as a junior and a senior. He has won numerous club championships and low amateur titles in pro-am series and has also competed on the Pocono Junior Tour and the Anthracite Golf Association Junior Tour.