Over the weekend, former Seymour High School football coach Joe Goodman passed away. He was 74 years old.

Joe Goodman was a football coach at Seymour for 30 years, having a record of 202 wins and 133 losses including a 76-36 record in his final ten seasons as the Owls head coach. He was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

According to Jordan Morey, “Goodman coached 65 All-State players, 16 Indiana All-Stars, 54 Academic All-State Players, and 209 All-Conference Players.”

Goodman recently received the Bob Springer Presidents’ Award from the Indiana Football Coaches Association back in July. He also has an award named after him which is given to an Indiana All-Star player who shows the most leadership and spirit on and off the field each year.

Seymour High School’s principal Greg Prange knew coach Goodman very well, saying, “We were family.” Goodman coached Prange for four years and was also his PE and health teacher. Prange coached four years of junior high football, two years of freshman football, and he was one of Goodman’s varsity assistants for ten years.

Prange went on to say, “I have many memorable times with Coach Goodman on the practice/game field, bus rides to games as a player and as a coach, and in his backyard relaxing and joking around with the other coaches.” Goodman coached, coached with hundreds of people and impacted so many people’s lives.

Prange also said, “Coach Goodman was known and respected throughout the state of Indiana.  He put Seymour football on the map.  He will be missed dearly.”

Despite never accomplishing every coach’s dream of winning a state championship, Goodman was still successful. He won six sectionals, two regionals, one semi-state, and in 1991, his Owls were runners-up after losing in the state championship.

Joe Goodman will be greatly missed and will forever be known as one of the greatest football coaches in Seymour Football history.

Goodman’s funeral service will be held Saturday, November 17th at First Baptist Church at 1 pm.