DeKalb County’s legendary football Coach Buck Godfrey passes away at 83

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– William “Buck” Godfrey, the winningest high school football coach in DeKalb County passed away this past weekend, Godfrey’s family announced on Saturday, Aug. 1. Godfrey was 83.

Godfrey’s daughter, Rashan Ali Smith, thanked the community for its outpouring of love, stating that the family would release details of the celebration of life service for her father once plans are solidified.

“…Our family is extremely grateful for the outpouring of love we have received since the ascension of our hero, William “Buck” Godfrey. The indelible impact he made on our lives will forever be guarded and revered. We know that he did the same for many of you.

We are aware that you want to celebrate him in your own way, but our family will release our plans to the public once they are solidified. We will honor him in the appropriate way – that of a legend. It will not be rushed,” Ali Smith said in her Facebook post.

Better known as “Buck,” Godfrey became one of the all-time great high school football coaches in Georgia history after 30 seasons (1983-2012), running the Southwest High School’s Panther football program.

Most only know of his 273 wins, a state championship (1995) and 13 region titles but he meant so much more to the Southwest DeKalb High School and DeKalb County communities. It was not just about football for Godfrey but helping all people to succeed.

“If you really got to know my father, you would have found a softer side that really cared about not only his football players, but everyone walking the halls of the school and the community,” said Colin Godfrey, Coach Godfrey’s son. “He really wanted people to succeed, even if they never stepped foot on the football field.”

Colin’s sister, Rashan Ali Smith, saw the same things in her father and remembered the family taking in others in need.

“I remember Dad and Mom (Joyce) opening up our home to others in need,” said Ali Smith. “These are the type of things he did that showed us how to treat people and live a life of giving. It is an example of staying humble and using his platform for good.”

Godfrey helped more than 300 student athletes receive scholarships coaching with his two children being two on the long list.

“Dad got me in the pool at the age of 3 and had me competing by the age of 5,” said Ali Smith. “He showed me and others the way to a better place in life through the water. I was a multi-sport athlete and did think that swimming would be my avenue to a college scholarship.”

Colin echoed his sister’s thoughts on being coached by his father.

 “Dad instilled so much in my sister and myself that was never really talked about but came to us through how he lived his life. Playing for him in the late 80’s, I found myself as just another player on the team. I had to earn my playing time just like everyone else,” Colin Godfrey said.

Despite his hard work on the practice and playing field, Coach Godfrey left that behind when he walked into his home. It was family first at that point.

“Even while playing for him, once we got home, it was all about the family,” said Colin Godfrey. “He never slighted the family. He became my best friend and was the best man at my wedding. That was the kind of man he was.”

Ali Smith remembered when summer came, it was not about signing up for camps, it was family time.

 “When we got to summertime, it was Daddy Day Camp. I never noticed early on how he was putting the family first, but I’m grateful he put us first outside of God,” Ali Smith said.

A graduate from Burke High School in Charleston, South Carolina, Buck Godfrey moved on to Delaware State University football and baseball scholarships. He became a team captain in both sports while winning the CIAA batting title with an impressive .511 batting average.

An avid student, Godfrey earned postgraduate fellowships at Columbia and New York Universities before completing his master’s degree in English from Atlanta University. His two passions were baseball (played in the New York Mets organization) and boxing (a successful Golden Gloves middleweight). He began his educational career shaping young minds in New York City’s Spanish Harlem before relocating to Georgia.

His legendary career led to Hall of Fame honors by the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, the Geogia Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Delaware State Athletic Hall of Fame for his college accomplishments.

Former Southwest DeKalb kicker/punter (1987-90) and current DeKalb Athletics Coordinator Oliver “Rock” Dean remembers his former coach fondly from his first meeting as an eighth grader.

“My sister (Antreon Dean Harris) was in Coach’s twelfth grade literature class, and he recognized her writing ability in class,” said Dean. “He was helping her with a paper and told my mom that she should be going to college and guided her into a college education. He talked to me and told me I needed to go to Southwest DeKalb, and it began a long friendship with a truly great man.”

Once in Georgia , Godfrey found coaching as a new passion Gordon High School where he coached the baseball team to a 31-16 record over two seasons including an outstanding 26-4 record in 1976. He also got into coaching football as an assistant at Gordon and later, at Towers High School.

Then in 1983, Godfrey took over the Southwest DeKalb High School football program making an immediate impact as the team went 10-2 overall, won the Region 7-AAAA title and reached the state semifinals

“I hate to say he kind of fell into coaching football, but his true loves in sports were baseball and boxing,” said Colin. “I remember that first win over Redan to start the year while I was a ballboy. He taught the players mental toughness and accountability and used his adaptability year to year to match the team with its strengths.”

The second season earned another 7-AAAA region title, a 13-1 mark and a trip to the state semifinals. Godfrey’s football coaching career was off and running to a 30-year career.

Over his 30 years coaching, he never had a losing season and went to the state playoffs 27 times. He won 10 or more games 12 times with three 5-5 records being the worst over his 30-year tenure leading Southwest DeKalb.

“As I reflect on the impact he had, one thing always stands out: he never stopped investing in people,” said current Stephenson head coach Marcus Jelks. “Coach Godfrey always found time to seek out young people in the community and offer words of wisdom—to those willing to listen. He genuinely cared about developing young men, and that passion never faded.”

Jelks continued, “Ironically, we lost more than a few games to Coach Godfrey when I was at Lithonia High School. Yet after those games, he would almost always come over to me or give me a call and tell me what a good job I was doing. Back then, I didn’t fully understand why he would do that after competing so fiercely against one another. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that he wasn’t just coaching a football team, he was mentoring the next generation of coaches. Today, I value those conversations more than I can adequately express.”

Godfrey’s squads reached seven state semifinals (1983, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995) and two championship games (1990 runner-up and 1995 state title). He put together a string of 18 consecutive playoffs appearances from 1986 to 2003.

He retired following a 7-4 playoff season in 2012 as the winningest football coach in DeKalb County history, a record he holds to this day. He faced 147 different coaches over his 30 seasons and only 31 of them have a winning record against Godfrey, including only nine with more than one win

Despite all the accomplishments, Godfrey always credited the coaches he surrounded himself with as well as the players he guided along the way.

“It’s hard to think of Coach Godfrey without thinking of my dad, Fletcher Salter,” said McNair Athletic Director and baseball coach Marcus Salter. “For over 20 years those two helped define an era of DeKalb County football in the 80s and 90s. The competition was fierce, the standards high and every Friday night was a championship atmosphere. They changed lives and shaped young men and women every step of the way.”

Godfrey’s legendary career led to Hall of Fame honors by the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, the Geogia Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. He also was a member of the Delaware State Athletic Hall of Fame for his college accomplishments.

Former Southwest DeKalb kicker/punter (1987-90) and current DeKalb Athletics Coordinator Oliver “Rock” Dean remembers his former coach fondly from his first meeting as an eighth grader.

“My sister (Antreon Dean Harris) was in Coach’s twelfth grade literature class, and he recognized her writing ability in class,” said Dean. “He was helping her with a paper and told my mom that she should be going to college and guided her into a college education. He talked to me and told me I needed to go to Southwest DeKalb, and it began a long friendship with a truly great man.”

Dean was part of the 1990 team that made a run to the state finals that came up short in a loss to Valdosta.

“Coach instilled a desire to win in us along with an unwavering faith,” continued Dean. “You never wanted to let him down because he poured so much into us. He taught us all that it was in the details especially in special teams which he believed was just as much a part of the game as anything else.”

In 2015, DeKalb County gave him one more honor by renaming Panthersville Stadium, the field on which he patrolled the sidelines to many wins, Willam “Buck” Godfrey Stadium.

Godfrey also was an accomplished author whose books reflected his love of history, family, sports and humanity. One of his books, titled “The Team Nobody Would Play” (2008), tells the story of his little league baseball team that was barred from vying for the World Series in the regional in Rome, Georgia due to being an African-American all-star team from Charleston, South Carolina.

Other books by Godfrey include Moods of a Black Man (1970) and Songs for My Father (1983).

Story and photos by Mark Brock, DeKalb County Schools Athletics Specialist,  includes update from Rashan Ali Smith’s FB page.