Southern Connecticut State University Men's Football

Godek 88, a former Owls captain and the teams offensive coordinator for the last 13 seasons, was officially named as the sixth head football coach in the history of the Southern Connecticut State University program in April, 2014. He is in his third season as head coach in the fall of 2016.   In total, Godek brought 20 years of coaching experience to the position following a decorated playing career that culminated in a free agent signing with the New York Jets.   The 2010 Division II/III Assistant Coach of the Year by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston, Godek took the Owls offensive attack to new heights during his tenure as offensive coordinator. A total of 68 players on the offensive side of the ball have been recognized with All-Northeast-10 honors since Godek joined the staff in 2001.   In addition, the Owls shattered numerous offensive marks along the way. Since his arrival, the club accumulated new season highs for total yards, rushing yards, passing yards, touchdowns scored and points scored, along with a new program record for total offense in one game.   As a student-athlete, Godek suited up for the Owls from 1984-87 and was a two-time All-New England selection. As a senior, he served as team captain and also took home All-ECAC honors.   Prior to joining the staff at his alma mater, Godek coached for seven seasons (1994-2000) at American International College as offensive line coach and assistant to the head coach.   While with the Yellow Jackets, Godek helped the club win four division titles en route to four consecutive Northeast-10 Conference Championship appearances. AIC claimed the conference title on two occasions.   He also coached two NE-10 Offensive Linemen of the Year, along with 1999 Harlon Hill Trophy runner-up Kavin Gaillaird. Godek holds a bachelors degree in history from SCSU and later earned a masters degree in education at AIC. He resides in Ludlow, Mass. with his wife Lisa, and his children, Emily and Stephen.

Joe Loth was named Southern Connecticut State University's seventh football head coach in program history on May 6, 2025.   Loth comes to Southern after serving as Western Connecticut State University's head coach for the last 12 seasons. Loth was hired in 2012, inheriting a program that finished the previous season on a 21-game losing streak. Since his initial season, Loth did not have another losing season and in 2018 became the program's all-time winningest head coach. Loth guided a WestConn program that was ranked first or second in scoring and total offense in the Massachusetts State Athletic Conference (MASCAC) each year during his tenure as head coach. The 2023 program averaged a program-record 49.2 points per game  as well as a 34.88 points per game average over the last three seasons. Academically, WestConn ranked first or second in MASCAC Academic All-Conference honors each season.  Through 2024, Loth compiled an all-time record of 77-45 (.631) at WestConn. Last season he led the Wolves to a 9-2 record and a 45-14 win against Alfred University in the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl. In 12 seasons, Loth led the program to six postseason appearances including the 2023 NCAA Championship Tournament. Prior to being tabbed as Western's head coach, he led his alma mater Otterbein College for nine seasons, building a 49-42 (.538) mark, which is the second-most wins for a head coach in Otterbein history. Prior to Otterbein, he served as the head coach at Kean College. In 24 seasons as a head coach, Loth owns a 133-109 (.550) lifetime record. At Otterbein, Loth led the program to its only postseason appearance (2008) in program history and was named the OAC and Ohio Coach of the Year. He inherited a program that had one winning season prior to his arrival and just two since his departure. Similarly, he took the reins at Kean after that program lost 14-straight games and noted improvement in each of his three seasons. Prior to Kean, he held assistant coach positions at University of Rhode Island, Capital University, WestConn and Southern Methodist University. Loth graduated from Otterbein in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and later completed a master's degree in business administration at WestConn in 2016.  

Entering his 25th season as a member of the coaching staff in 2025, former SCSU offensive lineman Lenny Bonn handles the team’s running backs and is the Special Teams Coordinator. He rejoined the Owls in 2002 after a 14-year stint as head football coach at Branford (Conn.) High School. The Hornets were a formidable club in first the Housatonic League and later, the Southern Connecticut Conference, on an annual basis. Bonn sent numerous players on to the collegiate ranks, including Connecticut State Player of the Year Remo Guarnieri, who moved on to become a team captain at Villanova. Equally as impressive was the fact that Bonn produced numerous National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete honorees. Prior to taking over at Branford, Bonn was an assistant coach at Notre Dame of West Haven from 1977-88. He started his coaching career at SCSU, spending two years as a graduate assistant from 1976-77. Bonn, who suited up for the Owls from 1972-75, earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SCSU. He resides in East Haven with his wife, the former Kathy Kadish, a recent retiree from Notre Dame of West Haven and current adjunct professor at SCSU. The couple has three children -- Aimee, a Guidance Counselor at Branford High, Brendan, a Nichols College graduate who is currently a teacher in Milton (Mass.), and Kelianna, a Merrimack College graduate and is a counselor at Foran High School in Milford, Conn. Bonn recently retired after 40 years as a Guidance Counselor at Walsh Intermediate School in Branford, Conn.

Former Owls stand-out Rob Eggerling ’01 was named the program’s defensive coordinator on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020.   Eggerling starred for the Owls from 1997 through 2000, earning All-Northeast 10 Conference First Team Defense honors as a punter in 1999. Eggerling completed his career in 2000 with the second-most punts (147) in program history, as well as the second-most total career yards (5,135) all-time. He was also a senior captain, and chosen as the Owls' Offensive Most Valuable Player that season. He was also a pitcher for Southern's baseball team in 2000.   Eggerling returns to Southern Connecticut after serving as the safeties coach at Bowdoin for the past four seasons. Prior to his stint at Bowdoin College, Eggerling was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at NE10 foe Saint Anselm College from 2008 through 2015, during which time he was named the 2014 NCAA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston. Eggerling’s Hawks defense was nationally-ranked in total takeaways, with 112 from 2008 through 2012. He was also instrumental in the development of a NE10 Rookie of the Year as well as several NE10 All-Rookie and All-NE10 picks.   In 2017, Eggerling also served as the Secondary Coach for the USA Football U18 Select Team that won the International Bowl over Team Canada.   Prior to Saint Anselm, Eggerling served as the defensive coordinator at Hartwick College for two seasons that included the 2007 Empire 8 Championship and a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs. He also served as Hartwick’s offensive line coach and defensive line coach. Before Hartwick, he served as the defensive ends coach, before then coaching outside linebackers, at University of New Hampshire. His coaching career started at St. Lawrence as a graduate assistant in 2001 and 2002.   A 2001 graduate from SCSU, Eggerling earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. He also graduated with a master’s degree from St. Lawrence in 2003. He and his wife, Nikki, have two sons, Ian and Nathan.    

Southern Connecticut State University Football head coach Tom Godek announced John Weiss as the Owls’ Offensive Coordinator prior to the start of the 2023 season. Weiss graduated from SCSU in 2015 and returned to his alma mater as the Owls’ offensive line coach in 2020. Weiss suited up for the Owls from 2011 through 2014, after transferring from Southern Illinois, as a tight end, fullback and spent time on the offensive line and on special teams. Weiss interned with the Owls as an assistant with the team’s wide receivers in 2015. He coached at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, N.J. where he helped guide the Spartans to the 2015 New Jersey State Championship before joining the coaching staff at Nebraska. At Nebraska, Weiss served as an offensive assistant with the Cornhuskers, working primarily with the team’s running game. In 2018, he was named the offensive line assistant at Rutgers and served as the tight ends coach in 2019. After returning to SCSU in 2020, Weiss also served as the department’s Athletics Academic Support Specialist.