Paul Gooden continues his role as the women’s golf coach after handing over the men’s program to Jeff Forbes in 2007-08.  Gooden coached both the men and women’s golf programs at James Madison University from 1999-2006.

Gooden continued his success with the women's team in 2009-10, guiding the Dukes to a runner-up finiish at the Colonial Athletic Association after a third-place showing at the 2009 CAA Championships.  He's place a golfer on the All-CAA team in each of the past each years, as Nicole Sakamoto  (first team) and Mary Chamberlain (second team) earned the honor in 2010, Kelly Lynch was named to the second team in 2009 and Laura Mesa made the team in 2008.  Both Sakamoto and Catrin Gunnarsson were named to the CAA All-Tournament team at the CAA Championships in 2010 as the duo finished in the top five at the event. Sakamoto and Ginger Mak then earned All-CAA honors in both 2011 and 2012.

Gooden, who will coach the women's team for the 14th year in 2012-13, was named the 2004 CAA Coach of the Year after the Dukes won their second league crown by 34 strokes.  The Dukes consistently posted top-10 finishes en route to their third consecutive conference crown in 2005, and then sophomore Kiley Bishop became the third different JMU player in three years to claim top individual honors at the championship.

The 2003-04 squad claimed team titles at Penn State and William & Mary along with the Ross Resorts Invitational, the Snowbird Classic, and JMU’s home event, the Bonnie Hoover Invitational.  The Dukes concluded the 2003-04 season finishing in the top three in 10 of 12 events.  Carol Green represented JMU at the 2004 NCAA East Regional Golf Championships in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

In 2002-03 Gooden led the team to nine top-five finishes, including team titles at the William & Mary Spring Invitational, JMU/Bonnie Hoover Invitational, Northern Illinois Snowbird Invitational, and the CAA Championship.  The Dukes had success throughout the season, finishing no lower than sixth in all 12 tournaments, including a runner-up finish at the Penn State/Nittany Lion Invitational.

He led JMU to seven top-five finishes in 2001-02, including team titles at the ECAC Championships and the William & Mary Invitational.  He guided Jessica Lewis to an individual spot at the NCAA East Regional and led the team to seven top-five finishes.  In Gooden's second year as the women's coach (2000-01), the team had an outstanding season, breaking almost every JMU record. Gooden's team placed among the top 10 in each of its events during his first season (1999-2000) as the women's coach.

Under the previous direction of Gooden the men’s program had three top-five individual finishes in 2005-06, including an individual title by sophomore Scott Marino at the ODU/Seascape Collegiate Invitational and a second-place showing by senior Jay Lindell at the JMU Invitational.

The Dukes had five top-five individual finishes in 2004-05 while the team also had five top-five finishes and a runner-up showing at the JMU Invitational during the 2003-04 season.  In 2002-03 he returned JMU to the NCAA East Regional after a three-year absence.  The men finished the year ranked third in the Mid-Atlantic Region behind Penn State and Maryland.  The Dukes placed in the top five seven times and garnered team crowns at The McLaughlin and the William & Mary tournaments.

Gooden guided the Dukes to four top-five finishes in 2001-02.  The team finished third at The McLaughlin and Colonial Intercollegiate.  The 2000-01 season was highlighted by a second-place finish at the Rutherford Intercollegiate and the Liberty Ramada Classic as well as a third at the JMU Invitational.

As a coach, Gooden has taken his men's team to the NCAA East Regional Championships six times (1996-2000, 2003).  He has 12 all-time men's tournament victories and 17 team titles on the women's side.

Gooden has amassed numerous honors. He has been honored three times as the Virginia coach of the year and was named the District II coach of the year once.  His most-recent honor was bestowed upon him in 1999-00 when he was named state co-coach of the year along with Old Dominion’s Murray Rudisill. He also earned the state honor after his inaugural season in 1995-96, in which JMU came away with six team championships. Gooden received both state and district coach of the year honors in 1997-98, when he guided his crew to three team trophies.

Gooden, who attended JMU during the 1971-72 school year, has been actively involved in golf throughout the Shenandoah Valley for 30 years.  He worked as the head golf professional at the Country Club of Staunton (Va.) from 1977-98 and previously served as the vice president and tournament director of the Southern Chapter of the Middle Atlantic Professional Golf Association.  Gooden is also a former member of the Middle Atlantic PGA Board of Directors and a strong proponent of the junior circuit who received the PGA's "Junior Golf Leader Award" in 1988 and 1992.  

As a player, Gooden has competed in the 1990 Kemper Open, the 1988 Anheiser-Busch Golf Classic and the Nike Dominion Open in 1993 and 1994. He has qualified for the National Club Professional Championships three times (1979, 1982, 1983) as well as the National Senior Club Professional Championship in 2006. He has also amassed a number of Mid-Atlantic PGA tournament victories throughout his playing career, including winning the senior match play event in 2004 and the 2006 MAPGA Senior Championship. He also finished ninth in the MAPGA Championship in 2004.