MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Doug Goodwin still remembers the first time he made the trip to Charleston as an assistant coach with the Morgantown girls’ basketball team. Goodwin took a moment to soak it all, the arena, the fans, the enthusiasm, and thought to himself: “This is what it’s all about.”
Since then, Morgantown has made several more trips to Charleston and won three consecutive titles from 2013-2015. Goodwin was an assistant coach for all of them but now he has the opportunity to lead the program back to Charleston and possibly hang another banner in the Rowdie Center.
“No pressure there at all,” Goodwin joked on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
Goodwin, a Morgantown High School alum, was named the new head coach of Mohigans on April 26 and takes the reins of a program that is coming off a state runner-up finish this past season and loses just one player to graduation.
“I really love this group of young ladies we have coming back for us and I’m just really looking forward to coaching these girls,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin has been involved in local youth sports for the better part of two decades, starting as a coach at Westwood Middle School in Monongalia County. He served as an assistant boys’ coach for two seasons and then two seasons as the girls’ head coach. Goodwin moved up to Morgantown High to coach the freshmen and junior varsity girls. When Jason White was named head coach in 2013, Goodwin moved up to varsity, serving as White’s go-to assistant.
“When Jason came in the last time it didn’t work out at that point and that’s ok. Things work out for a reason. I feel a little better prepared for and hopefully, we’ll be ready to roll,” said Goodwin.
Although White announced before the start of the 2021-22 season that he was stepping down at the end of the year, there were no discussions about Goodwin possibly taking over as the head coach. Everyone concentrated on making White’s ninth and final year a memorable one.
“We focused on the season,” said Goodwin. “That conversation came after the season was over. He and I sat down and talked about things when I was trying to make a decision of whether or not I wanted to move forward with it.”
Listen to “Talk of the Town | April 28, 2022” on Spreaker.
Working as an assistant for the past decade, Goodwin has worked with a trio of head coaches, Allan Collins, Adam Henkins, and Jason White. Each one of them is different but each one of them provides valuable lessons that Goodwin will be able to draw from as he becomes a head coach for the first time. For Goodwin, the biggest lesson he learned focused on how to interact with the players.
“Along the lines of dealing with the kids, when the kids understand what your value in them is they tend to work harder for you,” Goodwin explained.
Goodwin is well aware of White’s immediate success taking over the program and knows with a talented roster returning, Morgantown will be among the favorites to win Class AAAA next season. He’s not shying away from those expectations.
After all, a standard of excellence and the goal of winning another state title, is what is all about.