Prairie View A&M head women’s basketball coach Sandy Pugh announced the addition of Chris Godfrey as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator to her staff. Godfrey’s track record is highlighted by the successful development of standout junior college players that have gone on to greater opportunities, within and outside of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
“Chris is a young, hungry go-getter that’s made tremendous sacrifices over his coaching career,” Head Coach Sandy Pugh said. “He’s hard-working, dedicated, loyal … he’s what you want from a young coach coming into the door. I look forward to getting him here and for (Courtney Pruitt and I) to work with him. I think the dynamic of this coaching staff can be tremendous, and I’m excited about it. I pride myself on putting together a coaching staff that not only can work together, but work off one another and bounce ideas off each other. I think that this staff, now that’s been rounded out with Chris, is just that. We have an amazing staff as far as our collaboration, and our kids are going to benefit from this.”
Godfrey joins the Panthers’ program after a successful stint at Northwest Florida State College, where he served in a similar role for a squad that conference championship and a regional tournament title while finishing ranked No. 3 in the nation. Specializing in post player development, Godfrey helped a pair of Raiders earn NJCAA All-American honors.
“I’ve always had a passion for working with students that come from distinct populations,” Godfrey said. “The main thing I’m bringing to the table is passion and energy. This is my first opportunity to coach at the Division I level, and I’m excited for that. We’ve got a coaching staff with a lot of experience compared to me, so I plan to make up for that by showing my passion for the game and bringing a youthful exuberance to the staff. This is something that’s very important to me, especially with the opportunity to work at an HBCU given that our social climate is what it is. This is a step I wanted to take for my professional career.”
Godfrey’s career includes a pair of successful stops at Kilgore College and Eastern Oklahoma State College, where he found his stride in player growth. He helped Kilgore College reach the NJCAA Region 14 Tournament final during a season where the team boasted the NJCAA’s leading scorer in Jade Thurmon – who went on to sign with Iowa State – and sharpshooter Richelle Velez, who ranked fifth in three-point shooting before finishing her college career at Texas Southern.
At Eastern Oklahoma State, Godfrey primarily oversaw the improvement of Britnee Gabriel, who averaged nearly 12 points and eight boards a game in her lone season there.
Godfrey began his coaching career at Coastal Bend College in Beeville, Texas. Godfrey’s time at Coastal Bend was marked by numerous first-time achievements. The program recorded its first ever wins against NJCAA competition and its first conference wins during Godfrey’s debut season with the program. Three of Godfrey’s Coastal Bend Cougars would eventually play at the NCAA Division I level. Zandra Emanuel led the nation in defensive rebounding for the 2015-2016 season before signing with Texas State, while sisters Daniela and Emily Azubell would both go on to play at University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.
“One of my main goals here is to really spread the word to the rest of the country that Prairie View A&M is a viable place for academic and athletic excellence,” Godfrey said. “I want to help put Prairie View A&M on the map. It’s an awesome opportunity and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”
Prior to coaching, Godfrey worked in multicultural affairs and has a notable background in journalism and community work. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint John’s University in 2011 and a master’s degree from Armstrong State University – now known as Georgia Southern University – in 2014.
Photo Courtesy PVAMU Athletics
https://pvpanthers.com/news/2020/10/12/godfrey-added-to-womens-basketball-staff.aspx
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