Todd Bamford is a special reporter for HartfordHawks.com. He will periodically be providing feature stories about Hartford Hawks student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and fans. Click Here for an archive of previous feature stories by Todd Bamford.
Infectious enthusiasm. Spend some time with University of Hartford Director of Athletics Anton Goff and you can't help but feel it. Goff, who arrived on the Hartford campus this summer, recently completed his first 100 days on the job.
Goff's enthusiasm was palpable at his introductory press conference where he talked about something he calls "Hawk Nation Domination". He smiles now when asked how he came up with the term.
"I was speaking to a reporter the day before I was officially introduced and he asked me what my vision was and what I wanted to accomplish at the University of Hartford. I told him I was very competitive and I love to win but I don't want to just win I want to dominate. You know, I want it to be Hawk Nation Domination. It just rolled off my tongue."
Goff used the phrase several times at the press conference and hasn't stopped. The term can now be heard elsewhere on the school's campus. So what does Hawk Nation Domination mean to Goff?
"For me, it means excellence in everything we do every day. It's really not just about athletics. I look at it as being across campus. To try to improve every day whether you're a faculty member, staff member, student, coach, or administrator. Whatever it is you do here at the University of Hartford, everybody is a Hawk. For me, it's just getting people to buy in to that notion that we're all trying to get better in whatever we are doing."
Through his first months on the job, Goff has conducted both a listening tour and a fact-finding mission to establish the strengths and needs of the athletic department. In that short time, he's already made a positive impression on the entire university community.
"Anton brings high energy and high expectations for the entire University of Hartford, not just athletics," said Christine Pina, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. "His dedication and commitment have already been enormously helpful in moving the University and our program forward. I think he's a great addition to the team here."
Goff understood when he accepted the position that some of the pieces needed for an outstanding athletic program were already in place. But he knew there were also challenges that intrigued him. In these first 100 days, he's examined staffing, budget, fundraising, and facilities.
"I've learned that this is a great place to be. I think we have some things in place so that we can really be successful. Our coaches are young, passionate, and intelligent and really care about the student-athletes."
Goff named fundraising as the greatest challenge facing the department.
"We need to work on our resources. The biggest issue we have is fundraising. The way we've been doing it is disjointed," said Goff.
To this point, every sport has fundraised individually but Goff says that will soon change.
"We're working on a plan that will put everything under one umbrella and calling it the Hawk Nation Club. Everybody will give to something called the Fly High Fund. If you still want to give to an individual sport you still can do that."
The plan is to make sure that all athletic donors know about everything that's happening within the department regardless of the sport. Goff hopes to roll out the new program by early next year.
"We also need to improve some of our facilities," said Goff. "We're working on fundraising right now to upgrade the men's basketball locker room. Eventually, I'd like to see us build an indoor training facility."
Ultimately, Goff knows that it's up to him to give his coaches the resources necessary to be successful. He envisions a partnership between athletics and the entire campus community that can raise the school's profile locally, nationally, and internationally.
"Our success can give the campus an opportunity to showcase itself. I look at athletics as the front door. It's the porch that invites you in to the house. Once we get you inside the house we can show you all the great things that we're doing here academically."
The success of the athletic programs, particularly men's basketball, is crucial to that effort.
"Men's basketball, because of the NCAA tournament and the amount of exposure you can get there it is paramount for us to make the tournament in the next few years. What that does is raise the level for everyone to see you. It's been proven that teams that make the NCAA tournament and make a run the more fundraising dollars you get across campus, the more applications come in just because more people see you and know about you. If we make the NCAA tournament we're going to be able to help the entire campus. I truly believe that. It's just great advertising and it can raise the profile of your university. We have to get there."
Goff had never been to Connecticut before he was hired in July. He and his family moved to Simsbury and he says they love the Farmington Valley area. He's been overwhelmed by the amount of support he's received both on campus and in the local community.
"I've been to different places but here it's been a little different. People were so helpful with my transition and everywhere I go on campus people have introduced themselves and asked how they can help," said Goff.
"The energy we have here is great. With everything that's happening on campus I think it's a great time to be a Hawk. We're going to try to do our part over here in athletics and hopefully keep that rolling."
