Left: Scott Birkhofer, Right: Kenneth Johnson
PORTLAND, Ore. – Multnomah University has announced the hiring of Scott Birkhofer and Kenneth Johnson to lead the second-year men's and women's golf programs.
The long-time friends will take on equal share of responsibilities as co-head coaches as Multnomah enters its first year in the NAIA and the Cascade Conference.
"We are blessed to be able to welcome Scott and Ken to our coaching staff here at MU," said athletic director Lois Vos, "We are confident that the Lord has equipped them to lead and grow our golf programs. Their energy and experience are exactly what we were praying for and we are excited to have them here."
Birkhofer, a native of Greshman, Ore., attended Linfield College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and religious studies. While at Linfield, Birkhofer played football for the Wildcats as a kicker. He later went on to earn his Master's in business administration from former CCC member Concordia University.
Birkhofer has been golfing for the last 25 years and has experience coaching a number of different sports including football, basketball and soccer. His best score to this date is 73.
"I decided to coach at MU because I love athletics; playing, coaching, watching. Even more importantly, I am thrilled to get a chance to use sports as a tool to teach life lessons," said Birkhofer, "Best of all, I get to be a part of a Christian organization where I can proudly walk in my faith and help young student athletes do the same."
He is currently the owner and administrator of David Douglas Day Care and resides with his wife Kelsey and two kids Madison (4) and Andrew (2).
Johnson, originally from Grand Forks, British Columbia, is a duel citizen. He attended Columbia Bible College where he played basketball before attending fellow conference member Warner Pacific. Johnson earned a degree in business administration and an associate degree in youth ministries.
He has been golfing for the last 26 years and has coached both high school basketball and volleyball. His career best score is 71 (-1).
"I am most excited about being a part of a growing and Christ centered University athletics program," said Johnson, "Being a part of a college sports team was the highlight of college for me and am thrilled to offer it now to students from a coaching role. I look forward to growing our program and Multnomah University's community."
Johnson currently works for The Rian Group Real Estate as a buyer division manager. He lives with his wife Crystal and dog Moses.
MU's first scheduled golf tournament is for Sept. 20-22 at Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls, Ore.