Cliff Godwin Staff

Cliff Godwin – formerly a standout catcher at East Carolina University who has served most recently on the baseball staffs at Vanderbilt and North Carolina Wilmington – joined the Notre Dame baseball staff as an assistant coach in the fall of 2005. Godwin filled the spot on the Irish staff previously held by David Grewe, who now is the head coach at Michigan State.

Godwin serves as Notre Dame[apos]s lead hitting coach, works directly with the team[apos]s catchers and assists recruiting coordinator Terry Rooney in the baseball program[apos]s recruiting effort. He also combines with John Gumpf in the coaching of the Notre Dame outfielders.

Prior to serving as director of baseball operations at Vanderbilt during the 2004-05 academic year, Godwin spent one season as a volunteer assistant coach at UNC Wilmington ([apos]03-[apos]04). His duties at Vanderbilt included helping organize daily activities associated with the baseball program and serving as liaison to the Bullpen Club support group. He was part of the historic UNCW season in 2004, as the Seahawks claimed their first Colonial Athletic Association conference title and advanced to the final game of the NCAA regional in Kinston, N.C., hosted by Godwin[apos]s alma mater East Carolina.

An all-region catcher and two-time Academic All-American at East Carolina ([apos]97-[apos]01), Godwin had the unique experience of serving as head coach for the 2005 Wilmington Sharks, a collegiate summer team in the wood-bat Coastal Plains League. The Sharks finished second in the first-half standings of the CPL[apos]s South Division, with a 23-15 mid-summer record. Godwin also served as a head coach in the 2005 CPL All-Star Game, helping guide his team to a 5-3 victory at historic Fleming Stadium in Wilson, N.C.

Godwin is credited with making a big impact on the young UNC Wilmington catchers in 2004. Neal Eichhorn earned all-conference (CAA) honors that season while Chris Hatcher went on to be a second team all-conference catcher in 2005. Godwin also assisted with the hitters and was the first-base coach on Mark Scalf[apos]s staff, with UNCW racking up 104 stolen bases during the [apos]04 season.

A five-year member of the baseball program at East Carolina, Godwin redshirted as a freshman before serving as a top catcher from 1998-2001. The three-year team captain started 126 games in his final three seasons, earning all-East Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association in his final season after batting .322 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI. The lefthanded-swinging Godwin was named first team all-Colonial Athletic Association in 2001, when his other season stats included 14 doubles and 23 walks in 57 games played.

One of three ECU players ever to receive Academic All-America honors, Godwin was a third team Academic All-American in 1999 before being named to the second team in 2001.

Godwin helped Keith LeClair[apos]s ECU teams win nearly 100 games more than they lost during his four seasons (169-76), including 46-plus wins in each of his final three years (46-16 in [apos]99, 46-18 in [apos]00, 47-13 in [apos]01). His career totals with the Pirates included 24 home runs, 31 doubles and 95 RBI.

East Carolina won two CAA conference tournament titles and advanced to the NCAAs every season from 1999-2001. The Pirates were the top seed in their regional all three years, advancing to the super-regional round in [apos]01 before being eliminated by Tennessee. Godwin was named all-tournament at the 2001 NCAA regional, hosted by ECU in Wilson, N.C.

Godwin – who spent 2003 as an assistant coach at Kinston High School and has been a private instructor since 1999 – played two seasons of professional baseball in [apos]01 and [apos]02, for the Frontier League[apos]s Gateway Grizzlies (based in Sauget, Ill.). That team is owned by former Notre Dame catcher Rich Sauget, Sr..

The Snow Hill, N.C., native was a three-sport standout at Greene Central High School, earning all-conference honors in football, basketball and baseball. He also was an all-state performer in baseball, starred on the hardwood as a shooting guard for his father[apos]s team and quarterbacked the Greene Central football team to the best season in the school[apos]s history, receiving 1995 conference player-of-the-year honors .

Godwin graduated magna cum laude from East Carolina in Dec. of 2000, with a science degree in management information systems. He received the Pat Draughon Postgraduate Scholarship and – after completing his final season – received his MBA from ECU in 2002.