Branden Thompson was named the head coach for the Bruins' men's golfers in the summer of 2013 and coached his final season in the fall of 2022.
In his ninth year with the Bruin, Thompson's team finished third and helped elevate the department to its first McIlroy-Lewis Trophy win in 2021-22. The Bruins finished fifth, fourth, and second at the NWC Fall Classic, Spring Classic, and NWC Championship to earn their third-place finish with 23.5 points in the conference standings. Dante Heitscmidt was named Second Team All-NWC
Thompson guided his program to a fourth-place finish with a shortened spring-only year in 2020-21 after COVID eliminated the fall half of the schedule. Mason Koch earned another pair of All-Region and All-American honors to cap the year and his career under Thompson's tutelage and Dante Heitschmidt eared a second team all-conference honor.
In his seventh year with the program, the Bruins got out to their best start to a season in program history in 2019-20. The Bruins ripped off four consecutive tournament victories in 2019-20, including the 2019 NWC Fall Classic, before COVID cut the spring season short. During the 2019-20 season, Mason Koch was named to the NCAA DIII PING All-American and All-Region rosters. Koch was also a finalist in the 2019-20 Ad Rutschman Small College award pool for outstanding Oregon athletes.
Thompson's team finished third in the annual Northwest Conference standings in 2018-19, notching a program-best finish after placing second in the NWC Championship and fourth in both the NWC Fall Classic and the NWC Spring Classic. Joshua Lackey was named an All-NWC golfer after finishing as the tourney medalist at the NWC Championship and set a program record for low round with a seven-under card of 65. Mason Koch earned his third consecutive All-NWC honor and his second PING All-Region award.
In 2017-18 the Bruins continued to climb up the Northwest Conference standings. They placed second at the NWC Fall Classic, third at the NWC Spring Classic and fifth at the NWC Championships. With all three events combined, the Bruins finished with 21 points and a fourth-place finish in the conference standings - their highest in program history (T-4th, 2015-16). Alex Plusquellec and Mason Koch both shined throughout the season, both earning All-NWC first-team honors. Plusquellec also became the Bruins' first-ever NWC Player of the Year.
In the 2016-17 season, the Bruins recorded the first tournament win in program history at the Whitman Invite by eight strokes. Alex Plusquellec earned medalist honors in the field of 52 players with a 76-68-144. The 68 he posted on the second day set a new George Fox school record for 4-under. The Bruins finished third at the NWC Fall Classic, fifth at the NWC Spring Classic and seventh at the NWC Championships. Alex Plusquellec and Mason Koch both earned All-NWC second team honors. The pair became just the third and fourth Bruins to earn a spot on the All-NWC team.
The Bruins continued to make progress in the 2015-16 season, as the Bruins placed fourth in the Northwest Conference Fall Classic, T-Fourth in the NWC Spring Classic and fifth in the NWC Championship. Zach Mode became the second player in program history to earn a spot on the All-NWC First Team list. The Bruins also shot a program-best 292 at the PLU Invitational (Sept. 26, 2015), and followed that up with the second best score of 296 at the NWC Spring Classic.
In 2014-15, Thompson directed the Bruins to their highest finish in program history at the Northwest Conference Championship with a fourth-place finish. Andrew Grove led the Bruins in the tournament and finished T-Sixth. He became the first men's golfer to be named on the All-NWC First Team list.
The 2013-14 season was met with baby steps, as Thompson started to mold and create a winning tradition. Growing pains were among the first year, but Thompson was able to lay the foundation for years to come.
Thompson, who will continue his work at Chehalem Glenn, replaced Matt Beck, who established the George Fox men's team in 2007 and directed the Bruins through the fall 2012 schedule. MaryJo McCloskey, the Bruins’ award-winning women’s golf coach, assumed the men’s duties on an interim basis for the remainder of the spring season, with volunteer assistance from Brent Wilson, the father of Bruin golfer Kyle Wilson.
Thompson has been at Chehalem Glenn since 2005. He also served as the head coach of the Newberg High School golf team from 2006-13, building the program virtually from scratch to a third-place finish in the Pacific Conference at the Class 6A level, Oregon’s highest, in 2013. He previously worked as the head golf professional at the Langdon Farms Golf Club in Aurora, Ore. (1997-2001), and for three years thereafter as an independent golf sales representative to accounts throughout the Pacific Northwest.
A native of Seaside, Ore., Thompson played golf for four years (1991-94) at Pacific University (Ore.), helping the Boxers to four straight appearances in the NAIA National Tournament. He was a two-time All-Northwest Conference player in 1992 and 1994 and was named to the NAIA All-District 2 Team in 1994. He graduated from Pacific in 1994 with a degree in business administration.
In explaining his decision to seek the George Fox position, Thompson said, “I love coaching and seeing kids get better, and I remember my own college playing days as one of the best times of my life. This was a good opportunity to move on in my coaching life to a higher level from high school.
“I have followed the George Fox program from a distance for several years with its presence at Chehalem Glenn, and have known MaryJo for a long time when she would bring her previous teams down to Langdon Farms. George Fox’s core values fit well with my own faith, and its commitment to athletic excellence is consistent with what I believe the college experience should be about.”
George Fox director of athletics Craig Taylor, in announcing the hiring of Thompson, commented, “Branden’s track record as a teacher and builder of golf programs speaks for itself. His familiarity with our golfers already and his designs for strengthening our program means that the George Fox men’s golf program should be in good hands for quite a while. He is a welcome addition to our overall athletics department.”
McCloskey, who added additional duties as the George Fox director of golf operations to her responsibilities in the summer of 2013, added, “Branden and I have worked well together over the last several years as our teams have practiced at Chehalem Glenn. He is well-respected by all our players and is passionate about taking the men's team to the next level. I am excited to have him on board.”
Thompson, a Class A member of the Professional Golfers Association, and his wife Christine have two sons: Palmer, age 11, and Jack, age 8, who are already avid golfers. He enjoys coaching youth league teams for the Chehalem Parks and Recreation District in his spare time.
