Active from the mid-1970s through his retirement in 2021, Golder is one of the most successful and admired men’s artistic coaches in the country.
Throughout a 25-year career at the helm of the University of Michigan men’s team, Golder coached three Olympians: Sam Mikulak, Syque Caeser, and Uche Eke. He also coached six World Championships competitors – Daniel Diaz-Luong, Chris Cameron, Mikulak, Rohan Sebasian, Tristian Rivera-Perez, and Ian Makowske – while earning four NCAA team titles and four NCAA Coach of the Year honors (1999, 2010, 2013, 2014).
A 2012 Olympic coach, Golder began his career as an assistant at Alphena High School in 1972 and 1976 before transitioning to Ann Arbor Huron High School, and he began his career as an assistant at Michigan State University in 1979. He served as program director and head coach at Genesee Valley Gymnastics from 1984-91.
Following five years as an assistant at the University of Iowa, in 1996, Golder took over the Michigan program, where he and the athletes he coached found their greatest success. Among his charges were Olympic alternate Cameron Bock and Olympians Caesar, Eke, and seven-time NCAA champion Mikulak, who also won six U.S. all-around titles while being coached by Golder.
Respected as much for his coaching style as for his success, Golder’s mantra for his athletes was “Blame nothing. Blame no one. Be prepared to handle everything.”
