John Ray Godfrey

John Ray Godfrey (September 21, 1944 – November 17, 2024) was an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Abilene Christian Wildcats and was selected as the Southland Conference Player of the Year in 1968. Godfrey's number 14 was the first jersey number retired by the Wildcats. He did not play professionally and instead worked as a high school coach and administrator.

Basketball career

Godfrey was born in Aspermont, Texas, on September 21, 1944, to parents Olen Byron and Ina Mae (née McNutt) Godfrey. He lived on a farm where he began playing basketball as a child by using a goal erected on his family's garage.

Godfrey attended Aspermont High School in Aspermont. He played on the basketball team where he was coached by his brother-in-law, William Teel. Godfrey was selected as a member of the second-team Division II All-American team in 1967 and the third-team in 1968. He was awarded as the Southland Player of the Year in 1968 and was a three-time member of the All-Southland Conference team. He was also selected by the Houston Mavericks in the first round of the 1968 American Basketball Association (ABA) draft. On July 3, 1968, Godfrey signed with the Mavericks, but he returned home to become a teacher. He was invited to a tryout with the United States basketball team for the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Godfrey was inducted into the Abilene Christian University Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. His number 14 was retired by the Wildcats men's basketball team in 2018 as the first jersey number retirement by the program.

Later life Godfrey worked as a high school coach and administrator for 35 years. In 1991, he was appointed as head coach of the girls' team at Hawley High School. He left the position in 2002 to become an elementary principal in the Aspermont Independent School District. Godfrey was promoted to district superintendent in 2003.

Personal life and death Godfrey married his high school classmate, Barbara Smith, in 1962. He was predeceased by his daughter.

Career statistics

College