March 21, 2011

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Jake Moran, longtime head coach of the Villanova golf team, passed away on Friday morning. Moran spent 16 years as one of the golf team's two head coaches along with his brother, Joe Moran.

A funeral service is scheduled for Tuesday, March 22nd at Noon following a viewing from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in St. Thomas of Villanova Campus Church.

Moran was a dedicated member of the Villanova community and was a fixture in the Villanova Athletic Department for over 15 years alongside his brother. Moran most recently served as a volunteer assistant coach under James Wilkes and Will Reilly for the past three seasons.

The final seasons of the Moran brothers' head coaching tenure were among the most successful in Villanova history. In 2006-07, the team finished in second place at the highly competitive Rutgers Invitational, an event the Wildcats had placed 10th in the year before. Villanova went on to finish in the top half of the tournament field in each of the next two years. The team also posted strong finishes at the Hawks Invitational and the Bradford Creek Intercollegiate during the 2006-07 campaign.

The current run of success for the program began during the 2004-05 season when Villanova captured the team title at the George Washington Invite. It was the Wildcats first tournament title since the 1997 season. The Wildcats also qualified for the Big East Tournament for the first time since the field was changed to six teams in 2000.

Moran arrived at Villanova in 1993-94 and that season the team captured the tournament title at the UMBC Tournament. In 1996 the Wildcats garnered second place finishes at both the Stabler Invitational and James Madison Invitational.

Moran, a highly respected member of the golf community, was a member of the Philadelphia Country Club and Overbrook Country Club and was involved with the Villanova Alumni Association and Golf Alumni Association. He is survived by his wife, Sheila, his brother, Joe, along with three children and eight grandchildren.