Goff leaving Tiffin for Valdosta State

After doing what some thought couldn't be done, Gary Goff is going home. Goff, Tiffin University's football coach since 2011, resigned Friday to take the top job at Division II national champion Valdosta State. Goff, who was a wide receiver and kick returner for the Blazers, replaces Kerwin Bell, who was named the offensive coordinator at South Florida earlier this month. Goff was a captain on the 1996 Valdosta State team that won a conference championship. "I am extremely excited about getting the opportunity to lead my alma mater," Goff said in a statement. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience." Tiffin was Goff's first head coaching job after being an offensive coordinator for three schools. He leaves with a 38-50 record at Tiffin, a mark that's far more impressive than it looks. When Goff arrived, he inherited a program that had won two games in three seasons. In his first season leading the Dargons, Goff endured an 0-11 season. The next two years also were difficult. Between 2012 and 2013, TU amassed just six wins against 16 losses. But strong recruiting — and the arrival of star (and now CFL) quarterback Antonio Pipkin — helped change things. After back-to-back 5-6 seasons, Tiffin jumped to 8-3 in 2016. But this past season was Goff's best. With Nick Watson leading the way at quarterback, Charles Holland at receiver, strong tailbacks and a ferocious defense, the Dragons started 2018 9-0, going all the way to a No. 15 ranking in Division II. The team did this despite Goff missing a game with a serious illness. He then was forced to coach two from the press box as he recovered. The team finished 9-2, likely missing the playoffs by a single game. "There may be a handful of coaches that could have done what Gary did at Tiffin University," TU Athletic Director Lonny Allen said Friday. "When he got here, our program was in shambles. He weathered the storm. "To do what he did was pretty remarkable," Allen said. "It just shows the character that he has. Because it wasn't easy." While at Tiffin, Goff also recruited heavily from area schools. Carey receiver Gavin Woods played a big role this season, while former Bellevue quarterback Jalen Santoro had some solid seasons as a wide receiver. Goff also recruited former Columbian quarterback Todd Simonds last season. Now, Goff returns to his alma mater. Allen said he was happy for the coach. "To go back to his alma mater, believe me, he has … you walk into his office even here at Tiffin University, and he had the championship banners from being at Valdosta," Allen said. "He was still very much a follower of that program. And to get that job is kind of a dream come true for him, and I'm very happy for him." Allen said Goff changed the perception of the Dragons' program. "Gary's made this a destination job," Allen said. Friday, the Dragons named Seth Duerr interim coach. Duerr was an assistant on Goff's staff for a few years before coming the head coach at Beloit College for five seasons. Duerr returned to the TU program last month as an assistant. The search for a new coach will be national, and Allen said it will be comprehensive. "We've never done due diligence on a job like we did with Gary, and the same will come with his replacement," he said. At the same time, Allen didn't rule out Duerr or other members of the TU coaching staff for the full-time job. "There's an advantage to being here. There's an advantage to knowing the inner workings of Tiffin University, because we're different than anywhere else on the planet," he said. In his statement, Goff thanked TU President Lillian Schumacher and Allen "for believing in me and giving me the chance to build a great program. "I will deeply miss the amazing people that work at Tiffin," he said. "The Tiffin football program will continue to have success for many years to come."