Goforth retires as Benet coach after 31 years

In his 53 years on earth, Gary Goforth has spent 42 of them either playing or coaching football.

That's enough.

Goforth on Tuesday announced his retirement as varsity football coach at Benet Academy, where he's been head coach for the past 22 years and coaching in the Redwings program for 31 seasons.

"In my mind," Goforth said he decided to retire from football on Jan. 13 but made it official Friday morning. It comes on the heels of Redwings soccer coach Henry Wind resigning from the boys soccer spot.

Like Wind, who remains as Benet's girls soccer coach, Goforth will stay as Benet's athletic director, a position he's held 19 years, as well as a biology instructor at the highly regarded Lisle institution.

Goforth said his successor will be hired "as soon as we can," after discussing options with Benet Principal Steve Marth.

Goforth said the "door is open" for him to go back into coaching one day, but on Tuesday it sounded like he'd had enough of Friday scouting, Sunday film work and game-planning and, overall, the additional 30 hours per week each football season.

Over the last month the respected coach contemplated retirement "hour by hour," he said.

"The drive's not there that's been in the past," he said. "I'm just tired."

At their best, whether in victory or defeat - like Benet's 24-point fourth quarter in a 48-38 2006 Class 7A playoff loss at Providence Catholic - Goforth's Redwings never played tired. Redwings stars such as Dan LeFevour, Matt Fronczke, Jimmy Schmieder, Colin Armstrong, Mike Schubert and Goforth's own son, Phil, represented one of the area's best-coached and guttiest outfits.

"I've got no regrets," said Gary Goforth, whose 85 football victories rank second all-time at Benet behind Tim Cederblad's 99. "I would have liked to have won more games, but I've got no regrets with any of the kids I've coached."

Mixing it up with students was the reason Goforth returned to a more active role as a biology instructor and a reason he remained Benet's football coach as long as he did.

"I have mixed feelings," he said about his football retirement. "I enjoy the kids. There's nothing more important to me than the players on the team. It's never been about me - it's always been about the kids."