Andrew Frame graduated from NIU in 2011 and immediately became the assistant coach for the men’s golf team. In his five years at NIU, Frame had 16 top-10 in 45 tournaments. His low round was a six-under-66, while his best overall finish was a second place finish.

Frame sat down with the Northern Star to talk about golfing and coaching.

Northern Star: What made you decide to come to NIU for coaching?

Andrew Frame: I was a student athlete here, I played on the men’s team from 2006-2011 and it was a great opportunity that Coach [Tom] Porten gave to me. He asked me if I wanted come back and help out both programs, it was such a terrific opportunity. There really is no golf program in the country with more opportunities to succeed here with all of the athletic facilities we have here. It was just a fantastic opportunity.

NS: How long have you been golfing and what got you into golf?

AF: I have been playing golf since the age of four. My dad was an avid golfer and he got me into it at a pretty early age. I started to play tournaments at a really early age too; I really enjoyed the competition ever since I started.

NS: Who is your favorite golfer and why?

AF: That is a really tough question; I would have to say my favorite golfer would be Retief Goosen. Retief Goosen for sure, mainly because the way he carries himself on the course. You can never tell if he 10 under par or 10 over par. He is one of the best players under pressure that the game has ever seen and he is one of the best putters. I have always looked up to him.

NS: Have you ever wanted to become a professional golfer?

AF: I used to when I was younger, back in high school, maybe. Once I got into college, I not necessarily realized I wasn’t good enough, just thought that my path was leading elsewhere. But I definitely thought I did back in elementary school through high school that I did want to become a professional golfer during those years.

NS: Did you always want to become a coach?

AF: I always have wanted to become one. Back in high school and in the process of going from high school to college golf I knew I wanted to become a coach at one point. My degree is in elementary education, so my plan was to teach. I figured I would coach at high school level and maybe work my way up to college level at some point. I always knew I wanted to coach young players to get better, it just so happened to be at college level first.