Feature Story: Godfrey Leaves His Legacy
Tom Davis
Every college basketball program in the country right now is immersed in accentuating their rosters via the infamous transfer portal, and Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball program is no different in that regard.
“We’ve had some great transfers here,” ninth-year Mastodon head coach Jon Coffman said recently.
However, successful programs aren’t built solely on short-term pieces, and the foundation for Purdue Fort Wayne’s success has been “4 and 5-year guys,” like Joe Reed, Kason Harrell, Michael Kibiloski, Joe Edwards, Ben Botts, Frank Gaines, John Konchar, and the list of incredible talent goes on and on for this program.
As of this spring, the followers of Mastodon hoops can absolutely add Jarred Godfrey to that honored list.
“Jarred is a guy that leaves a legacy,” Coffman said. “He leaves a career here.”
Godfrey’s name is going to be all over the Purdue Fort Wayne record book for as long as the university has a basketball program.
No Purdue Fort Wayne player has ever played in more games than the 6-foot-5 Godfrey (153) or scored more points (2,164).
“We’ve had transfers that have come in and have raised the level of our program,” Coffman said, “but guys like (Konchar), who was a five-year guy, and a guy like Jarred, who was a five-year guy, those guys have just been a staple for who we are connecting generations within our program.”
“They have stayed, and they have been the foundation of our culture. Jarred is going to be in the record book forever.”
And not just for the Mastodons, but for college basketball, in general.
Godfrey completed his career earlier last month as the only active player in NCAA Division I men's basketball with 2,000 points, 600 rebounds, 400 assists, 200 made 3-pointers, and 200 steals.
Think about how many players there are across the 360-plus programs, and he stands alone, in that statistical realm. And in the past 30 years, only four other student-athletes in college basketball have finished with such a career stat line.
“It is something that I will grow an appreciation for down the road,” Godfrey said of the gaudy numbers.
Like Konchar, Godfrey, whom Coffman refers to as “The Ambassador,” didn’t lack options for where he finished his career. But also, like Konchar, who mentored Godfrey as a freshman when Konchar was a fifth-year senior, the thought of leaving, period, did not sound as appealing as leaving a legacy.
“The decision to stay wasn’t too hard,” Godfrey said. “I have been able to build up somewhat of a brand here. I have been able to network throughout the course of the years.”
“I have met some great people here and it has become my second home. I didn’t want to give that up. I love how (Purdue Fort Wayne) plays. I love this city.”
Godfrey, who Coffman said “is a more aggressive scorer than (Konchar),” not only produced offensively at an elite level, but he also created offense for others.
He finished third in career assists (478), a category that he explained he found joy in.
“It definitely was,” Godfrey said of having fun with the role of a passer. “It was pretty easy given our style of play. As I grew up in this program, I started drawing more attention from defenses, so, it was easy to just make the right play and the right read.”
Godfrey closed his career as the program’s all-time leader in shots taken and 3-pointers attempted, while ranking second in made shots, made 3-pointers, and career starts.
He ranks third all-time in free throws attempted and made, as he evolved from a 70.9 percent shooter as a freshman and closed his career as an 89.3 percent free throw shooter.
Godfrey also ranks third all-time at the defensive end in rebounds and steals.
“Jarred is special,” Coffman said. “He made a career here. He developed here. He has great pride in Fort Wayne and our basketball program that he helped to build. He raised the first Horizon League Championship banner in school history.”
“Jarred has connected generations within our program,” Mastodon head coach Jon Coffman said.
As the Mastodons have grown as a program in measured success, those victories are a testament to the ability of the players recruited and “developed.”
In terms of wins over the past 10 seasons, only Wright State (203 victories) and Northern Kentucky (182) have more victories than Purdue Fort Wayne (181) within the Horizon League. And in terms of winning seasons, only Wright State (9-of-10) has more winning seasons (8-of-10) in the past decade.
In the case of Godfrey, like Konchar, both won league championships during their careers.
“Jarred has connected generations within our program,” Coffman said. “His well-roundedness and our style of play fit him. He played the 1 through the 4 for us, just like (Konchar) did. He and John were both versatile guys within our program. Both took great pride in making the player next to them better. Both have drawn national attention on our program and University.”
Konchar, and over 20 other Mastodon basketball alums in the past decade, have taken their abilities to the professional level, and Godfrey, whose brother, Gerard DeVaughn currently plays in Argentina, will do the same in a few months along with his other 3 graduating teammates.
“He is a go-get-it (scorer) and can show a career of versatility filling up the stat book” Coffman said.
Godfrey is wrapping up his time in Fort Wayne training for looks from pro teams this off-season and putting the finishing the touches on a pair of degrees.
“One of the core values that I stand on is loyalty,” Godfrey said. “Purdue Fort Wayne has been loyal to me in helping me grow, and learning everything that I can here, so it is only right that I return that loyalty.”