An In Depth Look At The Career Of The New McNeese Football Coach

Meet the new Head Football Coach for McNeese State University, Gary Goff.

Goff was born in Picayune, Mississippi, and went on to play Wide Reciever at Valdosta State from 1993 -1996.

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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.

Coach Goff is very familiar with the Cowboys as he was offensive coordinator for the Southeastern Lions during the 2003 - 2004 season. He began his coaching career after his playing career ended in the high school ranks. Two years later he got his first college coaching job at Iowa Wesleyan.

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

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.

Coach Goff was welcomed as the 18th Football Head Coach for McNeese today:

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 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 to a winner. He's also shown that when he gets a program to winning ways, he can maintain those winning ways.

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 Coach Bobby Keisler built in the 90s? 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 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 five seasons have treated us to major disappointments, we remember what could be.

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 2011-19, 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.

To Coach Gary Goff: I can't wait to see how you transform our beloved Cowboys. 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.

This last bit of recruiting advice is for free, a welcoming gift to Coach Goff from me. This last season we saw a horrific kicking game at McNeese. Actually, I'm surprised I still have hair after pulling it out with every missed PAT and FG last season, but I digress. Even though you have 18 kickers on your roster, please send a scout to St. Louis Catholic High School here in Lake Charles. Coach Pat Neck is a kicking guru and always has his players kicking at an FBS level. Please don't let another St. Louis kicker fly under McNeese's radar.

Geaux Pokes!