Now, more than a dozen years later, Godwin will be a head coach for the first time. At his alma mater, East Carolina, no less.

Godwin arrives at ECU after spending three years at Ole Miss, the last of which concluded with the program’s first trip to the College World Series since 1972. He also spent time as an assistant at UNC Wilmington, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, LSU and UCF.

First Inning – You’ve been mentioned in previous job searches. What was so attractive about East Carolina and why was it the right time to leave Ole Miss? How important was it that ECU is your alma mater?

It was very tough to leave Ole Miss, but the timing was right because we won the SEC West and went to the College World Series. It would have been more difficult to leave Ole Miss if we had not made it to Omaha! You always want to leave a place you work at better than when you started!

It was important that East Carolina was my alma mater because I know what ECU can be. The teams I played on from 1999-2001 were some of the best teams in the country. We hosted a Super Regional in 2001 and were very close to going to OMAHA. I would not have taken the head-coaching job at ECU if I did not think we could go to OMAHA!

Second Inning – What was it like to help guide the Rebels to their first College World Series since 1972?

It was an awesome feeling! I was so pumped for Coach [Mike] Bianco, because he had been so close so many times. I was also excited for our guys who had worked so hard, and the fans at Ole Miss deserved the Omaha trip! It had been 42 years since Ole Miss had made it to the College World Series, which made the trip extremely special. To go on the road at ULL, in a very hostile environment, and win the Super Regional was a tremendous feat by our guys.

Third Inning – How difficult was it to leave Ole Miss?

It was extremely difficult. The coaches and our players at Ole Miss were my family. When you pour your heart and soul into something it is always tough to walk away! Ole Miss and Oxford will always be a very special place to me and it will always be my home away from home!

Fourth Inning – You have coached under some amazing head coaches. What is one thing you’ve learned from each of Mark Scalf (UNC Wilmington), Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt), Paul Mainieri (Notre Dame, LSU), Terry Rooney (UCF) and Mike Bianco (Ole Miss)?

All of these coaches are considered to be the BEST head coaches in the country! Every one of them taught me something different! I have been so blessed to be able to work with these great coaches, and I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for them. They were great mentors, but all of them are even better people.

Fifth Inning – You played for Keith LeClair. What are your memories as a player and playing for Coach LeClair?

There are so many memories of Coach LeClair. His vision of taking ECU baseball to the College World Series never wavered, even when in his first year at ECU we finished around .500. He took a group of guys who were not the most highly touted recruits and made them believe they could beat anyone. He challenged us physically and mentally to make, what I believe, was the toughest baseball team in the country.

Sixth Inning – How do things change from being an assistant to being the head coach?

It’s different for sure! The biggest difference is you have a lot more off-the-field requirements, such as speaking engagements. Also, you are responsible for not only the 35 guys in the locker room, but also your entire support staff. You can’t win at this level without a great support staff. The on-the-field coaching hasn’t changed for me, and I never want that to change. I always want to be in the cages with the hitters and work with the catchers. I take a lot of pride in that!

Seventh Inning – What are some of the strengths for the Pirates in 2015?

Our biggest strength is the group of guys we have in the locker room. We have a great group, who are committed to be excellent on and off the field. Baseball-wise, we are deep at catching, we have a good chance to have an all left-handed pitching weekend rotation and we have a lot of position players who have playing experience at ECU.

Eighth Inning – You received your MBA in 2002 and got into college coaching a year later. Could you have envisioned being the head coach at your alma mater? What would you be doing if coaching in college didn’t work out?

You can always dream about being the head coach at your alma mater, but a lot of things have to fall into place. I am very blessed to have this opportunity, and my goal is to make all of my former teammates and the Pirate Nation proud of our baseball program.

Tough to say what I would be doing if not coaching! I always said, when I was young, I wanted to be a lawyer. I can’t see myself doing anything outside of college athletics.

Ninth Inning – What are three things you look for when recruiting a hitter?

Hitting is the toughest thing to evaluate in our sport, but if I have to narrow it down to three I would say: bat speed, hand-eye coordination and competitiveness.