Gary Goff has resigned as Head Coach of the Tiffin University football program. He is leaving the Dragons to take over as Head Coach for national champion Valdosta State in Valdosta, Georgia.
Goff, with a career coaching record of 38-50, recently completed his eighth year at Tiffin University. Goff enjoyed his best season at the helm of Tiffin football in 2018, leading the Dragons to a 9-2 overall record, a 6-2 G-MAC record that finished tied for second in the conference, and an AFCA Division II ranking as high as No. 15 during the season. Tiffin achieved that ranking after a 9-0 start to the year that was the highest for TU since a 10-0 beginning in 2006. With the win over Ohio Dominican in Week Eight, Goff surpassed Nate Cole for the most head coaching wins at Tiffin University with 37.
He joins a Valdosta State program that recently finished the year ranked No. 1 in Division II. VSU went a perfect 14-0 on the year en route to the championship and won its school-record 15th-straight game dating back to last season. The win marked the fourth championship for VSU and first since 2012. The Blazers went undefeated for the first time in school history and won their seventh Gulf South Conference title.
The Dragons made significant progress as a Division II football institution under his direction. After inheriting a team that had went 2-31 over the previous three seasons, Goff endured a difficult 0-11 campaign in his debut season of 2011. After spending much of the next two seasons building the team, Goff and the Dragons started to turn the corner in 2014, as they posted the first of back to back 5-6 seasons. Tiffin had a breakthrough season in 2016, posting an 8-3 record and starting a three-year run that saw TU post a record of 23-10.
Goff came to the Dragons after a highly successful season at West Virginia Wesleyan. Goff, who served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wesleyan, led the team from a 2-8 season in 2009 to a 9-2 mark in 2010, tying the most wins in school history in the process. The team was ranked nationally for the first time in school history while breaking 12 offensive school records.
Prior to West Virginia Wesleyan, Goff coached at Princeton University where he was the Pass Game Coordinator and Receivers Coach. He was also Co-Offensive Coordinator and Receivers Coach at New Mexico State University for four seasons where he helped lead the team to a ranking of 2nd nationally in passing offense and 3rd nationally in total offense. That team also broke 21 offensive school records while ranking 15th in the nation in scoring offense. Goff also coached the nation's top receiver, two-time All-American Chris Williams, who later signed with the Cleveland Browns.
Goff, who has been offensive coordinator for three different teams, also served in that capacity at Iowa Wesleyan University. He also coached for two seasons at Southeastern Louisiana University, helping that squad to lead the nation in total offense.
Goff played for powerful NCAA Division II Valdosta State under Hal Mumme. Goff was a receiver/kick returner and was also team captain his senior year, leading the team to the Gulf South Conference Championship in 1996. That squad also earned an NCAA play-off berth and the nation's top ranking during the regular season.
"I am extremely excited about getting the opportunity to lead my alma mater," said Goff. "This is a once in a lifetime experience. I want to thank Dr. Schumacher and Lonny 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. The Tiffin football program will continue to have success for many years to come."
"I want to thank Gary for the time he spent at Tiffin," said Athletic Director Lonny Allen. "He accomplished things that many people on the outside thought couldn't be done. He took a football program that was one of the worst in the country at the time and transformed it to a nationally ranked team last season. Gary and his family have meant so much to the people at TU, the community and most importantly our alumni base. He has brought the alumni back to being active in our program and on our campus. I cannot thank him enough for what he has done and wish him much future success at VSU."
Seth Duerr will serve as interim head coach. A national search will being immediately.