Goff joins Purdue after serving as a visitor in the Department of Physics at the University of Puget Sound. Before that, he spent a sabbatical year conducting research at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom, following a distinguished 23-year career at the University of Lynchburg.

An internationally recognized expert in the physics of sports, Goff studies how the laws of physics influence athletic performance and sports equipment. His research spans topics ranging from the aerodynamics of soccer balls and modeling of the Tour de France to shoe-court friction, climbing-helmet safety and other sports engineering problems.

For more than a decade, Goff has been a trusted media resource for explaining the science behind sports. His work has been featured by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Sports, The Conversation, StarTalk’s Playing with Science and numerous international media outlets. He is also the author of two books, including Gold Medal Physics, which explores the science behind Olympic competition.

Goff is especially well known for his expertise on FIFA World Cup soccer balls. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he provided insight into the aerodynamics of the Adidas Trionda match ball, connected-ball technology, and player and goalkeeper observations about ball performance.

A multidisciplinary opportunity

Goff said Purdue’s combination of engineering expertise and Weldon’s focus on medicine and human health made the university an ideal place to expand his work.

“Sports engineering is inherently multidisciplinary,” Goff said. “Questions involving athletic equipment, human performance and safety often require mechanics, biomechanics, physiology, materials, sensing, computation and design.”

He was particularly drawn to the opportunity to work across disciplines at Purdue.

“Weldon’s position at the intersection of engineering, medicine and human health, combined with Purdue’s extraordinary breadth in engineering, provides an ideal environment in which to expand my work,” Goff said. “I was also attracted by the opportunity to help build something ambitious rather than simply join an established program.”

At Purdue, Goff will create educational opportunities and foster interdisciplinary collaborations that engage students in applying engineering principles to athletic performance, equipment design, athlete safety and sports technology.

Building connections in Indianapolis

Goff also sees Indianapolis as an important part of Purdue’s opportunity to advance sports engineering. The city’s concentration of sports organizations, healthcare institutions, technology companies and industry partners creates opportunities for students and researchers to tackle practical challenges in the field.

“I am most excited by the opportunity to connect Purdue’s engineering strengths with Indianapolis’s concentration of sports organizations, healthcare institutions, technology companies and industry partners,” Goff said.

Goff plans for his research program to bring students and collaborators together to investigate practical questions involving equipment performance, athlete safety and sports technology.

“My larger goal is to help make Purdue the go-to place for sports engineering in the United States,” he said.

Through Goff’s appointment, Purdue is building on its strengths across biomedical and mechanical engineering while creating new opportunities for students to explore the intersection of engineering and athletics.