Goff on Kirby: "He's going to do a good job."

ADEL, GA (WALB) - Ray Goff will never go down in the annals of college football history as a great head coach.

The Moultrie native led the Dawgs to a 46-34-1 record between 1989-1995, with a pair of bowl victories to go along with it.

But during his tenure, Goff recruited and coached four players who have gone on to Division I coaching careers. One of those is Kirby Smart, the man now leading the Georgia Bulldogs.

"Kirby's going to do a good job," Goff says. "I'm excited because he's a Georgia graduate. To me personally, that means a lot."

Goff spent his Thursday morning in Adel, speaking to nearly 80 kids at the FCA's Power Camp.

He spoke with Smart at an event a few weeks ago, but says he didn't offer the first-time head coach any advice.

"I got fired. He doesn't need to hear from me. He needs to hear from the people who were successful," Goff jokes. "I just hugged him and said if you ever need anything, call me."

Smart joins Colorado State's Mike Bobo, South Carolina's Will Muschamp, and Kennesaw State's Brian Bohannon as former Goff players now leading teams of their own.

Goff says it wasn't his teaching that led them to that profession though. He credits their fathers, many of whom were coaches or teachers themselves.

"I wish I could take credit for it," Goff says. "But that's what their fathers did."

Goff says he's excited to see what Smart can do with the Georgia program, and says he thinks he knows what Kirby will be feeling after the Dawgs take the field in the Georgia Dome on September 3.

"We were fortunate enough to win my first game [15-3 over Baylor in Athens]," Goff says. "It was the most drained, most tired I've ever been in my life. Leading up to it, all the questions you answer are about what you're going to do. You don't have a clue until you get there."

Goff won't be coaching Smart anymore, but does believe there's something the Bainbridge native can learn from Goff's years in the same seat.

"Everybody's not going to love you everyday," he laughs.

If Smart can deliver the national title Georgia fans have been eyeing for over 35 years though, that might just change.

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