By Suzy Alstrin
With fond remembrance, Reinhardt University reports the loss of one of its own. Coach Brian Goodhind passed away on July 22nd after a valiant battle with cancer.
Goodhind coached the Eagles women’s volleyball team starting in 2017 and earned the distinction of Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Coach of the Year for each of his first three years while leading the team to the national tournaments. In 2021, Goodhind led the efforts to add men’s volleyball to Reinhardt’s athletic program and developed its success. He made a lasting impact on everyone who knew him.
“I had the privilege of knowing Coach B for the last seven years,” says former volleyball player Erinn Marroquin (RU-2020 & 2021), now Reinhardt’s Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations. “I committed to Reinhardt because of Brian. He took the time to know me not only as a player, but a person. He was one of the strongest people I’ve known and the way he handled adversity and trials was amazing to witness. I miss him greatly but the impact he had on me will remain in my heart and in the way I live my life every day.”
In 2023, Goodhind shared, “I fell in love with Reinhardt from the moment I put my foot on the campus. I had been praying a lot and felt drawn here. I wanted to be somewhere I could make an impact. I don’t want to be just about athletics, I want to help build young men and women on and off the court and teach them not to worry about adversity.”
Goodhind credited his strong faith and ability to deal with his diagnosis, “I’m going through a really tough time, but I’m not one of those people who says, ‘boo-hoo me.’ I’m more someone who says, ‘Why not me? I will tell you that because of my faith, I’m blessed. I need my journey to be one that is inspirational, whenever that ends.”
The spirit of Reinhardt supported Goodhind during his battles with illness and he never stopped supporting Reinhardt. As Marroquin explains, “His drive and passion for the game of volleyball was deeper than anyone I’ve ever seen, and his immense success over his entire career is evidence of that. He fought an illness just like he fought all his other battles in life, with a relentless, stubborn spirit and a great love for and trust in the Lord that lives on in his players to this day.”
All are invited to a celebration of life at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20th at the Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Canton, GA.
