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Jim Menditto Announces Retirement as Head Coach
Long-time staffer concludes 18 year-career at AU

June 11, 2002

WASHINGTON -- Jim Menditto, head golf coach at American University, has announced his retirement, effective immediately. A venerable resource on the game of golf, he brought over 40 years of experience to the American University golf program.

“American University has been outstanding to me for the past 18 years,” Menditto said. “I feel the golf program should soar here and I look forward to the program competing for the Patriot League Championship within the next two years.”

“We thank Jim for his dedicated service to American University,” said Tom George, Director of Athletics. “He has helped raise the level of our golf program over the past few years, and has instilled a strong work ethic within our student-athletes. Even in retirement, we expect Jim to be actively involved with our golf program.”

Menditto came to American after 26 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, where he was stationed at several points around the globe. He came out of retirement to join the American golf staff in 1999 as the assistant coach, and was elevated to head coach prior to the 2000 campaign.

He quickly led the Eagles to a first-place finish at the St. Bonaventure Invitational, as they set a new tournament scoring record in the process. He also led American to two second-place finishes in 2001 at the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational and the first-ever American University Invitational at The Gauntlet Golf Course in Fredericksburg, Va. Menditto also guided American to six top-five and eight top-10 tournament finishes in the past year.

A 1982 graduate of St. Leo College in Florida, Menditto worked at American for 17 years as the Director of Facilities at the Washington College of Law. In addition to his duties with the AU golf program, he oversaw the organization of fundraising tournaments for American University’s Eagles Club and the Washington College of Law.

American University fields a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program featuring 10 women’s sports and nine for men. It recently completed its inaugural year in the Patriot League, capturing league championships in men’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis, and regular-season titles in men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse.