DeKalb County mourning Hall of Fame high school football coach

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Families across DeKalb County are mourning William “Buck” Godfrey, a longtime football coach at Southwest DeKalb High School. Godfrey died Saturday.

As Southwest DeKalb’s head football coach from 1983 to 2012, Godfrey led the team to 273 wins, the most of any coach in DeKalb County Schools history. He racked up 27 state playoff appearances, two state championship appearances, the 1995 Class 5A state championship and more than 300 scholarship athletes and graduates.

“Well, Godfrey was a special person. He was different,” said Lance Brown, a former player.

“He is a once in a generational coach. You know there’s no one like him,” said Kathleen Richey-Walton, Southwest DeKalb High School athletic director. “You could tell just from the moment you met him that he had something worthwhile for you to pay attention to.”

Brown said he connected with Godfrey on the field and again as fraternity brother.

“He was tough though. He was tough, very tough, but I respect that, and it helped us grow into better men,” said Brown. “The impact of him over those years is — it’s almost hard to put in words because I can hear the band playing. I can see us preparing. I still feel the chills in having this conversation.”

Godfrey’s loss is reverberating throughout the community.

“A heavy, heavy, heavy sense of sorrow and grief for the moment,” said Southwest DeKalb High School Principal Brandon C. Thompson. “He will be sorely missed, but his legacy will continue to live on.”

“So we were honored to be a part of that tradition, that first phase of him. I mean, it was no nonsense, and he made it a standard to be great,” said Brown.

“He set the bar so high, and those standards are so insurmountable,” added Richey-Walton.

Coach Godfrey is also the winningest Black football coach in state history.

“I really don’t believe that he thought of it that way. You know, I know that you know in this community that he wanted the best for his young men. He wanted the best for the community,” said Richey-Walton.

Richey-Walton said her sons were ball boys for Godfrey. She said she soaked up every bit of knowledge in the decades she knew and worked with Godfrey.

“Whether you were a teacher, a coach, an athlete, parent, he was always open, willing to talk to you, willing to share information, his wisdom. Because I think he wanted everybody to do their best,” said Richey-Walton.

Godfrey’s legacy was evident throughout his career.

“He lived, breathed Southwest DeKalb High School. And that energy is infectious when you met him, and so it was phenomenal just in being able to be in his presence to feel the energy, the spirit of Southwest DeKalb High School, which he embodied,” said Thompson.

In 2015 DeKalb County renamed Panthersville Stadium to William Buck Godfrey Stadium.

Godfrey has been inducted into several halls of fame, including at Southwest DeKalb, Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame and Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

Godfrey also taught English before hitting the field. Brown said Godfrey had a poetic side and even wrote a book.

His resume is long, but the lessons he taught have lasted even longer.

“And if you ever were fortunate to be in his presence, you could tell just from the moment you met him that he had something worthwhile for you to pay attention to, listen to,” said Richey-Walton.

“And he said, ‘You know, you’re a great thinker, so use it. Don’t be average. Take steps to be above.’ And we had some great guys on our teams, and he he he stayed on all of us about being great. And that was it. He just he always said greatness. You know, be be proud of who you are and go get it,” said Brown.

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