| BSB/SB Bama hires Goff as new coach: Reports and Reactions
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PhillyGirl
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Greg Goff is expected to be named the University of Alabama’s new head baseball coach, The Tuscaloosa News has learned. He’s expected to sign an agreement with the school as soon as Thursday night and be introduced on Friday.
Goff arrives at Alabama after two years as head coach at Louisiana Tech. He led the Bulldogs to a 42-20 record this season and an NCAA regional berth, where they were defeated in the regional final by host Mississippi State.
He has posted a 67-47 record in his two seasons in Ruston, combining this year with a 25-27 debut in 2015. The Bulldogs hadn’t made the NCAA tournament since 1987 before this season.
Louisiana Tech athletics officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Tuscaloosa News on Thursday, but associate athletics director Malcolm Butler released a statement on Thursday night.
"It is not our policy to comment directly on coaching searches and it's not our place to comment on the speculation of the Alabama search," Butler said. "At this time Greg Goff is still Louisiana Tech's baseball coach."
Goff was among three finalists for the job. Tulane head coach David Pierce and East Carolina’s Cliff Godwin were the other two.
He takes over for Mitch Gaspard, who resigned at the end of the season after the Crimson Tide missed the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. Alabama went 32-26 in 2016 during its inaugural season in the rebuilt Sewell-Thomas Stadium, which completed a $42 million renovation.
Before moving to Louisiana Tech, Goff had been head coach at Campbell University in North Carolina, where he oversaw the most successful period in Campbell’s history. The Fighting Camels struggled in his first four seasons in the Atlantic Sun program but won at least 40 games in each of his last three seasons after moving to the Big South Conference.
Campbell had only posted two seasons over .500 in the 19 seasons before Goff took over. The program had never won 40 games in a season before his time there, but Goff did it in three straight years. Campbell went 41-18, 49-10 and 41-21 from 2012-14 and made the NCAA tournament in 2014.
Campbell also won the conference tournament that season. Campbell had gone 11-45 before Goff’s first season, the worst season in program history. It improved to 21 wins in Goff’s first year, then 27 and 28 wins in the next two years.
He also has experience in the state of Alabama. Goff's first head coaching job was at Division II Montevallo from 2004-07. He led the Falcons to the Division II College World Series in 2006 and an NCAA tournament berth in 2007, the program’s only two appearances in the tournament. Montevallo went 152-84 during his tenure, including a school-record 47 wins in 2007
His overall record across 13 seasons as a head coach is 448-307. Goff was pitching coach at Kentucky from 1999-03. His was pitching coach at Southeast Missouri State from 1998-99 and started his coaching career at Delta State after finishing his playing career there.
Greg Goff is expected to be named the University of Alabama’s new head baseball coach, The Tuscaloosa News has learned. He’s expected to sign an agreement with the school as soon as Thursday night and be introduced on Friday.
Goff arrives at Alabama after two years as head coach at Louisiana Tech. He led the Bulldogs to a 42-20 record this season and an NCAA regional berth, where they were defeated in the regional final by host Mississippi State.
He has posted a 67-47 record in his two seasons in Ruston, combining this year with a 25-27 debut in 2015. The Bulldogs hadn’t made the NCAA tournament since 1987 before this season.
Louisiana Tech athletics officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Tuscaloosa News on Thursday, but associate athletics director Malcolm Butler released a statement on Thursday night.
"It is not our policy to comment directly on coaching searches and it's not our place to comment on the speculation of the Alabama search," Butler said. "At this time Greg Goff is still Louisiana Tech's baseball coach."
Goff was among three finalists for the job. Tulane head coach David Pierce and East Carolina’s Cliff Godwin were the other two.
He takes over for Mitch Gaspard, who resigned at the end of the season after the Crimson Tide missed the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. Alabama went 32-26 in 2016 during its inaugural season in the rebuilt Sewell-Thomas Stadium, which completed a $42 million renovation.
Before moving to Louisiana Tech, Goff had been head coach at Campbell University in North Carolina, where he oversaw the most successful period in Campbell’s history. The Fighting Camels struggled in his first four seasons in the Atlantic Sun program but won at least 40 games in each of his last three seasons after moving to the Big South Conference.
Campbell had only posted two seasons over .500 in the 19 seasons before Goff took over. The program had never won 40 games in a season before his time there, but Goff did it in three straight years. Campbell went 41-18, 49-10 and 41-21 from 2012-14 and made the NCAA tournament in 2014.
Campbell also won the conference tournament that season. Campbell had gone 11-45 before Goff’s first season, the worst season in program history. It improved to 21 wins in Goff’s first year, then 27 and 28 wins in the next two years.
He also has experience in the state of Alabama. Goff's first head coaching job was at Division II Montevallo from 2004-07. He led the Falcons to the Division II College World Series in 2006 and an NCAA tournament berth in 2007, the program’s only two appearances in the tournament. Montevallo went 152-84 during his tenure, including a school-record 47 wins in 2007
His overall record across 13 seasons as a head coach is 448-307. Goff was pitching coach at Kentucky from 1999-03. His was pitching coach at Southeast Missouri State from 1998-99 and started his coaching career at Delta State after finishing his playing career there.
I am not up on college baseball as far as top coach's on the rise are concerned. Is this a good hire?
Sort of makes me want to go buy season tickets. Anyone else?
Football - Bama gets a guy who won a national championship and coached in the NFL.
Basketball - Former NBA coach of the year.
Baseball - La Tech coach who made the tournament field a few times in weak conferences.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Apologists, I'll save you the time. The AD knows more than me and has hired more coaches than me. I don't know how difficult this hire is. There's no one else to hire. This guy coached in the state of Alabama once upon a time. I don't know who I'd hire; but, it's not my job to do the search. Bama doesn't have in-state scholarship money, so this is the kind of coach the Tide has to have. Yada, yada, yada. Whatever
Football - Bama gets a guy who won a national championship and coached in the NFL.
Basketball - Former NBA coach of the year.
Baseball - La Tech coach who made the tournament field a few times in weak conferences.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Apologists, I'll save you the time. The AD knows more than me and has hired more coaches than me. I don't know how difficult this hire is. There's no one else to hire. This guy coached in the state of Alabama once upon a time. I don't know who I'd hire; but, it's not my job to do the search. Bama doesn't have in-state scholarship money, so this is the kind of coach the Tide has to have. Yada, yada, yada. Whatever
TerryP
Staff
A world in an of itself.
As one example, you don't see cross-over between major league and college coaches. It's one or the other. I suppose one could compare it to basketball in the sense a job at a small school can offer just as much as one as a large school. While Louisville is in a league of herself, their coach was just awarded the largest salary in NCAA history for baseball; 10.6 over 10 years. The point is that when it comes to money it's not a driving factor as it is with other sports (that said, some of those listed in this thread believed they were worth more money than the UA administration believe them to be.)
Let's watch Texas and see just how easy it is to draw a big name in the collegiate baseball circles.
Alabama17Tide
Member
Caught up with former Kentucky coach Keith Madison last night, who hired Greg Goff as pitching coach in Lexington from 2000-03. He's kept a relationship with Goff and was really excited to hear the news yesterday. Will have a story coming with this stuff sometime next week, but wanted to share it here now:
When you were working with him as a young assistant, was there anything about him that stood out that told you he might one day be a head coach at a major program?
“He had several things that stood out. One is he had an incredible work ethic. One other thing is that he was really passionate about what he did. He absolutely loved it. The third thing I would mention that stood out early on is that he was a great motivator of young men. I sort of came through the ranks as a pitching guy myself. Greg, I hired him as my pitching coach and I watched him work with this staff and saw how he motivated them and he had some great ones here: Joe Blanton, who’s still pitching in the big leagues with the Dodgers; Brandon Webb, who won the Cy Young Award with the Diamondbacks. He coached those guys and was with them every day and motivated them, encouraged them, challenged them. He was a special coach and I knew he had a bright future.”
How would you describe his coaching style? What people would call a players’ coach or an old school coach?
“I think it’s a combination. He’s got some old school qualities. I’ll say that because I’m old (laughs). He has some old school qualities but he’s also a very compassionate guy. He’s very demanding on his players but at the same time he cares very deeply for them. I think that’s an incredible combination for a coach to have in any sport at any level.”
The road he took to get here wasn’t an easy one. He didn’t come up through many blue-blood programs as an assistant or head coach. Is he a program-builder, a guy who knows how to restart a program?
“I think so. He is a builder and he’s relentless. He just does not accept failure long-term. He’s a guy, he really believes. He believes so strongly that I think the players pick up on it and they expect to win. I think that’s one of his gifts.”
How valuable is it for a guy moving into a position like this to have 13 years of head coaching experience beforehand?
“First of all I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for Greg but also I think it’s a smart move on Alabama’s part because there’s a lot of young coaches out there that have charisma and a lot of gifts, but if you haven’t been in that seat before of being a head coach where you call the shots and make major decisions and not only lead a team but manage a coaching staff, if you haven’t done that, for some guys, it can be overwhelming. There are those special assistant coaches that move into a high-profile head coaching job that do tremendous, like Kevin O’Sullivan at Florida or Tim Corbin at Vanderbilt. Those guys were known as great assistant coaches and they’ve had tremendous success, but that’s rare. I think Greg’s experience of being a leader of men is going to reap great dividends for the Alabama baseball program.”
One question I always like to ask: Do you remember the first time you met him?
“I do. I had the position open at Kentucky and I was trying to narrow the interview process down to like three guys. He was coaching at Southeast Missouri at that time. A head coach in the Ohio Valley Conference in the league that SeMo is in, a head coach called me and said ‘Coach Madison, will you please hire Greg Goff and get him out of our league?’ That was probably the best recommendation that anybody had ever given to me, so I immediately picked up the phone and called Greg and said ‘Hey, I want you to come to Lexington and spend a couple days and let’s talk about this.’ When I met him, I knew what this coach was talking about because I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was a great competitor and he was going to be a relentless-type guy that was never going to quit. He just has those intangibles. He’s one of those ‘I’m going to look you in the eye and tell you the truth’ kind of coaches and I highly respect that.”
Any advice you would give him going into a position like this, as head coach in the SEC?
“This may sound really strange to you, but my advice is to make sure that you continue to do the same thing you’ve been doing, but don’t forget that it’s supposed to be fun. I’ve been around the SEC for a long, long time and it’s a serious league that has great athletes and a lot of high expectations. What I’ve seen happen on occasion is that when coaches forget how to relax and enjoy the moment, and help their players enjoy the moment… When they forget that, that’s when the stress and the pressure really gets to you. You’ve got to have fun. I would say that not just in coaching but just about anything. If you can’t enjoy what you’re doing, it’s going to be a job instead of a career. That’s the advice I would give him. Greg’s a very intense person but he also is a guy that knows how to enjoy the moment.”
Anything I didn’t ask you or anything you’d like to include?
“As you can tell, I’m really proud of Greg and I think really highly of him. The only thing I didn’t mention that I think is important to mention, Greg is a man of integrity. He has very strong values and he expects his players to also represent the program in that way. His character, sometimes that gets lost a little bit in big-time college athletics, but I think character is important. Another reason Alabama made a great hire is because Greg Goff is never going to embarrass them off the field.”
Spoke with a former head coach who worked with Greg Goff | TideSports.com
When you were working with him as a young assistant, was there anything about him that stood out that told you he might one day be a head coach at a major program?
“He had several things that stood out. One is he had an incredible work ethic. One other thing is that he was really passionate about what he did. He absolutely loved it. The third thing I would mention that stood out early on is that he was a great motivator of young men. I sort of came through the ranks as a pitching guy myself. Greg, I hired him as my pitching coach and I watched him work with this staff and saw how he motivated them and he had some great ones here: Joe Blanton, who’s still pitching in the big leagues with the Dodgers; Brandon Webb, who won the Cy Young Award with the Diamondbacks. He coached those guys and was with them every day and motivated them, encouraged them, challenged them. He was a special coach and I knew he had a bright future.”
How would you describe his coaching style? What people would call a players’ coach or an old school coach?
“I think it’s a combination. He’s got some old school qualities. I’ll say that because I’m old (laughs). He has some old school qualities but he’s also a very compassionate guy. He’s very demanding on his players but at the same time he cares very deeply for them. I think that’s an incredible combination for a coach to have in any sport at any level.”
The road he took to get here wasn’t an easy one. He didn’t come up through many blue-blood programs as an assistant or head coach. Is he a program-builder, a guy who knows how to restart a program?
“I think so. He is a builder and he’s relentless. He just does not accept failure long-term. He’s a guy, he really believes. He believes so strongly that I think the players pick up on it and they expect to win. I think that’s one of his gifts.”
How valuable is it for a guy moving into a position like this to have 13 years of head coaching experience beforehand?
“First of all I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for Greg but also I think it’s a smart move on Alabama’s part because there’s a lot of young coaches out there that have charisma and a lot of gifts, but if you haven’t been in that seat before of being a head coach where you call the shots and make major decisions and not only lead a team but manage a coaching staff, if you haven’t done that, for some guys, it can be overwhelming. There are those special assistant coaches that move into a high-profile head coaching job that do tremendous, like Kevin O’Sullivan at Florida or Tim Corbin at Vanderbilt. Those guys were known as great assistant coaches and they’ve had tremendous success, but that’s rare. I think Greg’s experience of being a leader of men is going to reap great dividends for the Alabama baseball program.”
One question I always like to ask: Do you remember the first time you met him?
“I do. I had the position open at Kentucky and I was trying to narrow the interview process down to like three guys. He was coaching at Southeast Missouri at that time. A head coach in the Ohio Valley Conference in the league that SeMo is in, a head coach called me and said ‘Coach Madison, will you please hire Greg Goff and get him out of our league?’ That was probably the best recommendation that anybody had ever given to me, so I immediately picked up the phone and called Greg and said ‘Hey, I want you to come to Lexington and spend a couple days and let’s talk about this.’ When I met him, I knew what this coach was talking about because I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was a great competitor and he was going to be a relentless-type guy that was never going to quit. He just has those intangibles. He’s one of those ‘I’m going to look you in the eye and tell you the truth’ kind of coaches and I highly respect that.”
Any advice you would give him going into a position like this, as head coach in the SEC?
“This may sound really strange to you, but my advice is to make sure that you continue to do the same thing you’ve been doing, but don’t forget that it’s supposed to be fun. I’ve been around the SEC for a long, long time and it’s a serious league that has great athletes and a lot of high expectations. What I’ve seen happen on occasion is that when coaches forget how to relax and enjoy the moment, and help their players enjoy the moment… When they forget that, that’s when the stress and the pressure really gets to you. You’ve got to have fun. I would say that not just in coaching but just about anything. If you can’t enjoy what you’re doing, it’s going to be a job instead of a career. That’s the advice I would give him. Greg’s a very intense person but he also is a guy that knows how to enjoy the moment.”
Anything I didn’t ask you or anything you’d like to include?
“As you can tell, I’m really proud of Greg and I think really highly of him. The only thing I didn’t mention that I think is important to mention, Greg is a man of integrity. He has very strong values and he expects his players to also represent the program in that way. His character, sometimes that gets lost a little bit in big-time college athletics, but I think character is important. Another reason Alabama made a great hire is because Greg Goff is never going to embarrass them off the field.”
Spoke with a former head coach who worked with Greg Goff | TideSports.com
E
ESPNU
Report: Horns to hire Pierce as baseball coach
Texas has reached an agreement with Tulane baseball coach David Pierce to take over the Longhorns' program, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Terms of Pierce's pending contract were not immediately available. Pierce's deal will likely need approval from the school's board of regents.
The decision to hire Pierce comes a month after Texas pushed longtime coach Augie Garrido into an advisory role within the athletic department after a losing season that saw Texas miss the NCAA postseason for the third time in five years.
Pierce has been at Tulane two seasons. He was previously the head coach at Sam Houston State and spent several years as an assistant at Rice
From ESPNU—Continue reading...
Texas has reached an agreement with Tulane baseball coach David Pierce to take over the Longhorns' program, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Terms of Pierce's pending contract were not immediately available. Pierce's deal will likely need approval from the school's board of regents.
The decision to hire Pierce comes a month after Texas pushed longtime coach Augie Garrido into an advisory role within the athletic department after a losing season that saw Texas miss the NCAA postseason for the third time in five years.
Pierce has been at Tulane two seasons. He was previously the head coach at Sam Houston State and spent several years as an assistant at Rice
From ESPNU—Continue reading...
TerryP
Staff
@TheChief
From my recollection:
UT interviewed LSU's Mainieri, Houston's Whitting, Oregon State's Casey, Dallas Baptist coach (can't think of his name,) and offered all four the position only to be turned down. I believe I'm missing one more name there.
They also interviewed Pierce and by these reports that's their hire. FWIW, again, as I recall, one of the issues with Pierce and his interview with Battle was what he thought he was worth and what Battle thought he was worth. And, I'm betting, Texas overpaid for a head coach again.
From my recollection:
UT interviewed LSU's Mainieri, Houston's Whitting, Oregon State's Casey, Dallas Baptist coach (can't think of his name,) and offered all four the position only to be turned down. I believe I'm missing one more name there.
They also interviewed Pierce and by these reports that's their hire. FWIW, again, as I recall, one of the issues with Pierce and his interview with Battle was what he thought he was worth and what Battle thought he was worth. And, I'm betting, Texas overpaid for a head coach again.
TerryP
Staff
I'm fairly familiar with Coastal considering where they are and where I live. When they hired Gilmore back in the mid-90's they caught my attention due to the name of their coach and the killer name Gilmore who was executed some 30 or so years ago.
I'd have to look at the records, but I want to say they've only had one losing season in the last 15-20 years and that was back in 2014 (I think.) Otherwise, if you look at that program you see repeated trips to the NCAA's, repeated 35+ wins on the season, etc.
From College of Charleston, to UofSC, to Clemson, and including Coastal Carolina ... some good baseball talent and coaching in the Carolina's.
TerryP
Staff
I know last year they made it to the regionals only to get bumped. I can't recall who they lost their first game against, but do recall they were eliminated by the Aggies. The year they had the national seed—#4, maybe—they didn't lose a conference game. Hell, I'm wondering if their total number of losses that year made it to double digits. I want to say they only had six or seven losses going into the NCAA's
The 2010 season saw them fall to USCe in the Myrtle Beach Super regionals. They finished with a 55-10 record. A year later saw them ousted from the Clemson regional by UConn. These were my former players junior and senior seasons after coming from Wallace State in Hanceville. He was named All-Tourney after hitting .636 (7-11) there.
TerryP
Staff
A loss to UofSC in the final game ... a loss to College of Charleston somewhere along the line as well. I remember some crazy baseball scores that post-season. I remember their game against Stony Brook resembling a football score ... CC scored 25 runs if I'm remembering this correctly.
