The assistant coach position has been a revolving door for the ISU men’s golf team. Beginning this season, the Cyclones will have their third assistant coach in four seasons.

With the hiring of Chad Keohane — pronounced Co-hayne — this summer, a former second-team all-conference USA golfer at the University of Texas at El Paso and instructor at the IMG Academy, Iowa State will look to add some continuity to its coaching staff.

“Transitioning from player to coach was a tough one. I never saw myself as a coach,” Keohane said about his days before becoming an instructor. “But I really started to enjoy it and see the kids be able to do things they were never able to do before because of some of the stuff I could help them with, which was really gratifying.”

After his playing days at UTEP in 2009, Keohane set his sights on a professional career. He tried his hand at qualifying for the PGA and Web.com tours before settling on the Hooters Tour, a professional tour roughly equivalent to single-A or double-A minor league baseball.

Running low on cash to continue to live the non-glamorous life of a mini-tour golf professional, Keohane returned to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., to instruct high school golfers looking to make the leap to the college level.

“I went there as a high school student, so I got to see it full-circle as a student and an employee,” Keohane said. “The atmosphere there is very similar to college. They have all different sports and kids board there. Just going through a blueprint and watching the development of junior golfers allowed me to make the transition [to college coaching].”

Keohane’s resume, aided by his experience at IMG and as a professional tour player, was just what head coach Andrew Tank was looking for in his replacement of previous assistant coach Peter Laws, whose stint at Iowa State lasted less than a semester.

“I wanted someone who was really passionate about coaching,” Tank said. “I was hoping to have someone with playing experience, professional touring experience. Those were sort of the two things I was looking for.”

Keohane’s affinity for golf and for his newfound surroundings at Iowa State is palpable. The gleam in his eye is ever-present when discussing Iowa State’s new practice facilities or his players’ potential for the upcoming season. His dedicated, inspired work ethic has not gone unnoticed by Tank or his players.

“He’s making his presence felt around practice, going the extra yard and that’s what I’ve been impressed with,” said senior Sam Daley, who is on his third assistant coach since joining the program. “He’s not going halfway — he’s jumped right in. He’s always around and wondering what you’re working on. It’s good to see a coach showing a bit of passion.”

Keohane, 28, said somewhere down the line he might be interested in moving up the ladder to be a head coach, but for now he is content to make his presence felt at Iowa State.

“It’s definitely a possibility down the road,” Keohane said. “But I have a lot to learn about Iowa State and these guys and trying to help this program where they want to be, which is to keep proceeding forward.”