McNeese State University made a big splash hire in the offseason to help rebuild their football program. After a disappointing 1-3 start to the season it begs the question; is Gary Goff the answer for McNeese Cowboy football?

McNeese State University
McNeese State University
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First, I think we need to dive into the history of Gary Goff's head coaching career to get a better look at the coach that we now have.

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Coach Goff comes from a very successful stint the last two seasons as the Head Coach of the same university he played for in college, Valdosta State. Goff compiled a 22-3 overall record and 14-1 in Gulf South Conference play. His teams also won 14 of their 15 home games during his time. He helped lead the Blazers to the DII National Championship this past season.

Gary Goff's Coaching Career:

  • 1999–2000 Cherokee HS (GA) (WR)
  • 2001 Woodstock HS (GA) (WR)
  • 2002 Iowa Wesleyan (OC/QB)
  • 2003–2004 Southeastern Louisiana (OC/WR)
  • 2005–2008 New Mexico State (co-OC/WR)
  • 2009 Princeton (WR)
  • 2010 West Virginia Wesleyan (OC)
  • 2011–2018 Tiffin
  • 2019–2021 Valdosta State
  • 2022–present McNeese State
McNeese State University
McNeese State University
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Goff was the head coach at Tiffin University for eight seasons (2011 - 2018). He inherited a team that hadn't won a game in three seasons before he got there. His first season went as good as the last three seasons, 0-11. However, from that first year on you could tell that the culture he was instilling in the Tiffin program was taking shape and growing. The next season they won three games and by year four the team was 5-6. Then the exciting stuff started to happen. By year six the Tiffin Dragons were now a winning program with a record of 8-3. Goff's last season saw the Dragons end with a 9-2 record.

He then returned to coach at his alma mater in 2019, Valdosta State. He helped lead the Blazers to the playoffs with a 10-1 record his first season there. The university decided not to play football in 2020 due to the pandemic. Getting back to the gridiron in 2021, Goff helped lead the Blazers to the DII National Championship with a 12-2 record for the season.

McNeese State University
McNeese State University
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I haven't met Coach Goff in person, however, hearing him speak you can really tell he loves his family and football. He also mentioned that he and his family are always active in the community where he coaches. I got a feeling Coach Goff is going to be here a while after he and his family experience the food, culture, and amazing people of SWLA.

He's already shown in the past he's not scared to put in the work and years it takes to build a program into a winner. He's also shown that when he gets a program to winning ways, he can maintain those winning ways.

McNeese State University
McNeese State University
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Do I think Gary Goff is the guy to bring us back to the glory days of the national powerhouse McNeese program like the one that coaches before him built in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and the early to mid 2000s? I don't know. I can tell you this, I feel really good about this hire. My gut is telling me Coach Goff will be here for years to come and will give every ounce of himself to make us a winning program once again.

McNeese fans have been spoiled big time by Coach Keisler and Coach Matt Viator. We expect to be a winner. We expect to be in the playoffs every season. We expect to be in the national championship hunt every season. Even though the last six seasons have treated us to major disappointments, we remember what could be.

McNeese State University
McNeese State University
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The Cowboys have an all-time record of 479–288–13, that's a .622 winning percentage. We're used to winning, it's in our DNA. Over the past three seasons, two at Valdosta and in 2018 at Tiffin University where he coached from 2011-18, Goff recorded a 31-6 record for a .861 winning percentage.

To The Atletic Director Heath Schroyer: I believe you hired the right guy and I'm excited about the Air Raid offense he's bringing to the program. You have to promise the Poke Nation that when we start to win again, that you will do whatever it takes to retain Coach Goff and not let another university steal him away from us. We have the perfect team with you, President Burckel, and Coach Goff to transition to FBS in a few years.

McNeese State University
McNeese State University
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To Coach Gary Goff: The fans are in a weird place right now. We placed our faith in the last two coaches to turn around the program, but they were only here for a cup of coffee. We're ready for a coach to be committed to us for the long haul. Every coach that has done that in the past, has found much success. Being between Texas and Florida you're in the midst of the most fertile football talent region in the nation. However, please don't forget about our homegrown players here in SWLA who have dreamed of playing in The Hole their entire lives.

To The McNeese Cowboy Fans: Trust the process. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will the Pokes. We've fallen victim to former coaches who were looking for their next job as soon as they walked onto McNeese's campus. They knew they weren't building anything here so they didn't invest themselves in recruiting or instilling the culture of a winning program. We finally have a head coach in Gary Goff. The last six seasons we've had two coordinators and a position coach parading around as head coaches. 2022 is just the beginning of our road back to glory. This season Coach Goff and his staff will see what they have and what they don't have. The rebuild starts this offseason. I think you will be blown away by how far we come in the next three years.

Geaux Pokes!

Famous McNeese Alumni

 

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