Longtime, beloved Miami Springs high school football coach Buddy Goins dies at age 86

Bill Daley
·4 min read
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Beloved by so many of his ex-players, long-time Miami Springs head football coach Carl “Buddy” Goins passed away of natural causes on May 22 at age 86.

Goins spent 26 seasons roaming the sidelines for the Golden Hawks and during that time not only produced some very good football teams but some great players as well, led by offensive tackle Lomas Brown who played 18 NFL seasons (mostly with Detroit) before finishing up his career in Tampa Bay, winning Super Bowl XXXVII in his final game.

After serving as an assistant coach at Springs from 1970-75, Goins was promoted to head coach in 1976 and it took him only three seasons before he had the Hawks going undefeated in the regular season in 1978 followed by another undefeated regular season campaign in 1979.

But perhaps Goins’ greatest season and proudest feat came in 1993. With a grand total of just 28 kids on the roster, the Golden Hawks were the football Cinderella story of the year in Miami-Dade County going a perfect 10-0 in the regular season while allowing just 29 total points all season, a state record at the time.

A win over Miami Norland in the first round of the playoffs set up a showdown of the state’s only two undefeated teams when Springs hosted Southridge in a regional semifinal contest before a standing-room-only crowd at Milander Stadium.

Even though the Hawks lost the game 14-0 and had to watch Southridge roll to three more wins and a state title, just how good that Springs team was became clear when the season was over when many Southridge players including head coach Don Soldinger agreed that the Springs game was by far the most challenging of the 15 wins.

“Springs was definitely our toughest hurdle that season for sure,” Soldinger would say years later.

Former Miami Springs football coach Carl “Buddy” Goins died recently at age 86. Goins coached the Golden Hawks for 26 seasons and sent over 400 players to college through football scholarships during his tenure.
Former Miami Springs football coach Carl “Buddy” Goins died recently at age 86. Goins coached the Golden Hawks for 26 seasons and sent over 400 players to college through football scholarships during his tenure.

Twice Goins was named the Florida Dairy Farmers’ Coach of the Year and three times he was asked to coach in various Florida All-Star games. He retired following the 2001 season with a career record of 140-121.

But his proudest accomplishment had nothing to do with wins or district championships. It’s that he sent over 400 players to college through football scholarships during his tenure, 16 of those who eventually played in the NFL.

“Getting kids placed in school is by far the most important thing any high school coach can do for his players,” Goins said in recent years. “Winning is great obviously but that doesn’t get kids to the next level. Working hard with the college coaches does.”

One of those players was wide receiver Devin Aromashodu. He played at Springs from 1999 to 2001 and his last game was Goins’ last game. Aromashodu went on to star at Auburn University before being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Even though he didn’t make Miami’s final roster, Aromashodu wound up even better off as the Indianapolis Colts signed him and he was on their Super Bowl-winning team a year later.

“Coach Goins’ impact on my life was massive,” said Aromashodu, who now lives in Birmingham with his wife and kids and is in the mortgage banking business. “When I came in as a sophomore, I was as raw as they came and he really took me under his wing and not only made me a better player but a better person as well. But where he really stood out was how hard he worked with the college scouts to get their attention and really look at me. He also gave me some valuable advice always cautioning me to ‘get offers in writing’ and not to trust anybody who made a verbal offer. I’m not sure if it was an accidental dial but he wound up calling me last month and we chatted for 10 minutes. I’ll always cherish that conversation because it wound up being the last one.”

Former Miami Springs football coach Carl “Buddy” Goins died recently at age 86. Goins coached the Golden Hawks for 26 seasons and led them to three undefeated regular seasons.
Former Miami Springs football coach Carl “Buddy” Goins died recently at age 86. Goins coached the Golden Hawks for 26 seasons and led them to three undefeated regular seasons.

Even after retiring from teaching and coaching, Goins didn’t slow down. He continued to work part-time for Florida Power & Light while enjoying his favorite passion as a wood turner. He is survived by three children, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

A “Celebration of Life” for Goins has been scheduled for Saturday, June 17 at Munchies Bar (200 SW 2nd St.) in Fort Lauderdale from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 954-955-9166.