North Carolina State University Athletics
Beyond the Game Plan: Todd Goebbel
8/12/2019 8:10:00 AM | Football
By Chad Wylie, Special Contributor
RALEIGH, N.C. - Todd Goebbel understands the importance of the process.
That is why he never gave up his dream of playing quarterback, even though he never started a high school football game under center until his senior year. That is why he calls his unit "Pack Forces" rather than "special teams," because he knows the game changing results that consistency in that area can produce.
"There is an excitement in being a dominant Pack Forces unit," Goebbel said. "It takes kids buying into the fact that Pack Forces is not the third phase of the game, it is the most important phase of the game."
Goebbel was born into a football family. His father, Mike, is a 40-year coaching veteran in Ohio and Florida. He still works as the linebacker coach at Otterbein University in Ohio. Todd's brothers, Kyle and Aaron, also entered the coaching ranks – Kyle as offensive coordinator at Gahanna Lincoln High School in Ohio and Aaron as Associate Athletic Director at Marshall before recently entering the private sector.
"I grew up in the business, going to my dad's practices," Goebbel said. "Watching him interact with young men and mentor those guys and coach them showed me something important. I was always passionate about following in his footsteps."
As a player, Goebbel said he learned perseverance waiting to play the position he thought he was best prepared for.
"It was always my passion to play quarterback," Goebbel said. "In little league I played tailback, in middle school I played quarterback, but when I got into high school I ended up starting at free safety and junior year I played wide receiver. Not until my senior year did I get to start at quarterback."
Goebbel made the most of his season as signal-caller, gaining interest from Kent State, where he committed and started at quarterback for three years. After transferring to Northern Iowa and graduating, he played briefly in the Arena Football League with the Buffalo Destroyers. When he looks back on his playing career, there is no season or play that stands out more than the respect he gained from his teammates.
"My biggest highlight will always be getting to be a captain of my team as a junior," Goebbel said. "Throwing touchdowns is one thing, winning games is another thing, but being named a captain by my peers as a junior was the highlight.
"When your peers see you as a leader, and believe in you enough to follow you, as young as I was, it's a great responsibility and a great honor."
Goebbel started coaching immediately after retiring from the Arena League, first coaching at the College of Wooster. With stops at Quincy University, Ohio State, Ohio Dominican and Marshall, he now enters his first year at NC State, ready to continue moving head coach Dave Doeren's program upward.
When Goebbel was hired, Doeren cited the Wolfpack's head to head matchups against Marshall in 2017 and 2018 where the Thundering Herd's kickoff returns and field goal units played exceptionally. Although Marshall lost both of those contests, Doeren took note of the special teams units, which prompted him to offer Goebbel the coordinator job.
"The biggest strength I can bring to this program is consistency," Goebbel said. "Consistency in preparation and consistency in executing with great effort, coordination and attitude. As long as I can continue to do that, I will assist these coaches and players in moving this program in an upward trend."
