By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Nov. 11, 2003
SCOOBA East Mississippi Community College head football coach and athletic director Tom Goode announced Monday that he will retire at the end of the school year.
Goode, who has been at EMCC for the past 12 years, said he had been planning to step down for about a year and that the timing just seemed right.
Goode guided the Lions to a 3-6 record this past season, and he will leave EMCC with an overall mark of 47-61.
In his 12 years with the program, Goode helped over 240 players move on to senior colleges.
Goode took over the Lions program in 1992, following stints as an offensive assistant at four Southeastern Conference programs.
He began his coaching career at Mississippi State University, where he played from 1957-60, in 1966. He returned to his alma mater as the offensive line coach from 1972-75, following a 10-year pro career.
Goode went on to be the offensive coordinator for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in 1976, and he served in the same capacity at Vanderbilt in 1977.
He returned to the Magnolia State in 1978 as the assistant head coach at Ole Miss, where he stayed until 1982.
Goode became the offensive line coach at Alabama in 1983, and he returned for his third coaching stint at MSU, as the offensive line coach, from 1984-89. His final stop before arriving at EMCC was as the offensive line coach at Vanderbilt from 1990-91.
Before beginning his coaching career, Goode made a name for himself in the game of football on the field.
He graduated from West Point High School, where he played football, basketball and ran track, in 1957, and he went on to play football at MSU.
Goode played center and linebacker for the Bulldogs. He was a three time All-SEC selection and a Kodak All-American (1960), and he played in The Blue-Gray Game (1960), the Senior Bowl (1961) and the All-American game (1961) after his final season with MSU.
After college, he was drafted in the second round by the Houston Oilers of the American Football League. After four years with the Oilers, he went on to play for the Miami Dolphins.
Goode was named the Dolphins' Most Valuable Player in 1967, the team's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 1966 and 1969 and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1969.
Goode ended his playing career with the Baltimore Colts in 1970, as a member of the Colts' Super Bowl V winning team
EMCC chief administrative officer of the Scooba Campus Dr. Bud Smith said plans for replacing Goode will be announced at a later time, and he pointed out how much Goode has meant to EMCC.
Goode, who will turn 65 on Dec. 1, said he doesn't think his retirement will have a negative impact on the football program.