Bowl Season Hall of Fame
Mike Gottfried (born December 17, 1944) is a former American sportscaster, college football coach, and player. He served as a college football color analyst and commentator for ESPN from 1990 until 2007.
Prior to his time with ESPN, Gottfried was a highly respected college football coach, compiling a 76-55-4 collegiate record. He served as head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh (1986–1989), the University of Kansas (1983–1985), the University of Cincinnati (1981–1982), and Murray State University (1978–1980). Coach Gottfried’s 1987 Pittsburgh Panthers appeared in that year’s Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston, Texas. His 1989 Panthers won the John Hancock Bowl with a 31-28 victory over Texas A&M. Before moving to the college ranks, he coached high school football in Ohio, amassing a winning record of 50–19–1. Gottfried played quarterback at Morehead State University from 1962 to 1965.
Many of Gottfried’s former assistants went on to have successful careers of their own, including John Fox, Mike McCarthy, Ron Zook, Frank Beamer, John Harbaugh, Paul Hackett, Sal Sunseri, Butch Jones, Mike Solari, Chuck Klausing, and Bob Valesente. In addition, thirty-five of his former players advanced to the NFL, including Craig “Ironhead” Heyward.
In 1998, Coach Gottfried helped establish the Mobile Alabama Bowl, which held its first game in December 1999. Known today as the 68 Ventures Bowl (2023–present), the game has undergone several name changes: LendingTree Bowl (2019–2022), Dollar General Bowl (2016–2018), GoDaddy Bowl (2011–2015), and GMAC Bowl (2000–2010). The mission of the bowl game, led by Gottfried and others, is to showcase the city of Mobile, promote tourism and economic development, provide educational and athletic opportunities to local youth, and deliver a culturally rich experience to collegiate athletes, administrators, and fans.
With support from the newly founded bowl game, Gottfried and his wife, Mickey, launched Team Focus in 2000—a comprehensive nonprofit mentoring program for fatherless boys and young men. The vision for the program stems from Gottfried’s own life experience:
“Growing up without a father around and knowing what it feels like, I have a desire to provide a place for young men to come and be encouraged, motivated, and challenged,” he said.
Team Focus serves fatherless young men, ages 10 to 18, by providing leadership training, guidance, Christian values, and long-term mentoring relationships. Working alongside families, teachers, and counselors, Team Focus operates in a relaxed, cost-free environment. Since its inception, more than 8,000 fatherless young men across the U.S. have been mentored through the program (as of 2025).
Gottfried authored his autobiography, Coach's Challenge: Faith, Football, and Filling the Father Gap, co-written with Ron Benson and released on September 11, 2007. He has also written three books on football and is a sought-after motivational speaker. A well-regarded offensive football innovator, Gottfried co-wrote the World League of American Football’s Offensive Playbook in 1991 alongside legendary Hall of Famer Bill Walsh. To date, he has written a total of ten books.
Gottfried was inducted into Bowl Season’s Leadership Hall of Fame in 2020. He has also been inducted into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame (2008) and the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame (1986). For his coaching achievements, he received the Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year award in 1984 and the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year award in 1968. For his community service, he was named Mobilian of the Year in 2010 and received the Director’s Community Leadership Award from the FBI’s Mobile Division for his work with Team Focus.
Gottfried and his wife, Mickey, have two daughters, Mindy and Marcy, and three grandchildren.
