Elon University head coach Matt Matheny coached for 10 seasons at the helm of the Phoenix program from 2009-2019, including five seasons with the program as a member of the Southern Conference and five seasons as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. Matheny was named Elon's 17th head men’s basketball coach in March of 2009 after serving on the men’s basketball staff at Davidson College for 16 seasons.
Named the 2013 Southern Conference Coach of the Year by the league's media members, his 151 wins as Elon's head coach is the third most in program history. Matheny was also the only CAA coach to have led his team to 14 or more wins in seven straight seasons from 2011 until 2018.
Matheny wasted no time changing the culture of Elon basketball during his tenure on campus. Over a seven-year span until 2018, Matheny led the Phoenix to an impressive .663 winning percentage at home, going 67-34 during that time frame. Matheny helped the Phoenix continue to climb up one of the top mid-major conferences in the country in the CAA during the team's first five seasons in the conference. He also made the Phoenix a power in the Southern Conference during his first five seasons at the helm.
Matheny's 10th season at the helm in 2018-19 saw the program open up Elon University's brand new Schar Center, the new home of men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball. In Schar Center's historic men's basketball opener, Elon faced off against the No. 8-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in front of a sellout crowd and program-record 5,245 fans. Additionally, senior forward Tyler Seibring became the first player in program history to be named a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. Seibring also earned All-CAA Second Team honors for the third straight season, as well as spot on the NABC All-District 10 Second Team for the second time. He was named the CAA's Males Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the CAA Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the league, as well as a nomination for the Senior CLASS Award and the NABC Good Works Team. Seibring became the first player in program history to finish his career ranked top-10 in points and rebounds in the Elon all-time record books. At season's end, Sheldon Eberhardt was named the CAA's Sixth Man of the Year. Additionally, Steven Santa Ana became the 42nd player in program history to score 1,000 career points.
During the 2017-18 season, Matheny led the Phoenix to its seventh-consecutive season on 14 or more wins during the program's fourth season in the CAA, which was ranked the 12th-best conference in the country. Junior forward Tyler Seibring earned All-CAA Second Team honors for the second straight season, as well as spot on the NABC All-District 10 Second Team. Seibring was also rewarded with his work in the classroom with a second-straight Academic All-America selection, as well as the CAA's Dean Ehlers Leadership Award, which is presented annually to the men's basketball student-athlete who "embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship in conjunction with his academic athletic achievement." Additionally, Brian Dawkins was named to the 2018 NABC Give Back Team for his outstanding community service efforts throughout his career as a Phoenix. The program had three players reach 1,000 career points, as Seibring, Dmitri Thompson and Dainan Swoope all achieved the mark in 2017-18. Elon finished the season with eight or more wins in non-conference play for the fourth consecutive season, which included the program’s first win over an American Athletic Conference opponent in South Florida, a victory over defending 2017 CIT Champion Saint Peter’s, and a win over 2018 Big South Champion Radford. Elon was also ranked as high as 22nd in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll and was ranked in the poll for three weeks. Under the direction of Matheny, the Phoenix showed a lot of balance offensively as four of its five starters averaged double-figures in the scoring column. Defensively, the maroon and gold ranked first in the league allowing CAA opponents to only shoot 44.8 percent from the field. Additionally, senior Dmitri Thompson reached the final four of the Dark Horse Dunker fan vote contest, missing out on the 2018 State Farm College Slam Dunk Championships by two rounds.
Under Matheny’s guidance in 2016-17, the Phoenix finished fourth in the CAA, which was ranked the 11th-best conference in the nation. Elon got off to hot start and began the season with a 6-1 mark, the best start in 29 years for the program. The Phoenix cracked the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll on Nov. 23, 2016, holding a spot at No. 23 for two straight weeks. Elon finished first in the conference only allowing CAA teams to shoot only 41.7% shooting from the floor. For the season, opponents shot 31.9% from three-point range, which ranked second in the league. Sophomore standout Tyler Seibring became the second player under Matheny to earn Academic All-America honors. Seibring was also named to the All-CAA Second Team and was selected as the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. For the third straight season, the Phoenix shined in the classroom and had a league-high four student-athletes on the CAA All-Academic Team. Elon also picked up big wins during the season, earned a road win against South Florida and won the NIU Thanksgiving Classic, defeating Northern Illinois, UIC and Cal Poly to win the championship.
In his second season in the CAA, which was ranked the ninth-best league in the nation during the 2015-16 campaign, Matheny guided an Elon squad of 18 players with 10 underclassmen to 16 wins and an increase in total league victories. For the second time during Elon’s Division I era, the team finished with a winning road record of 8-7 overall. Only the 2013-14 team finished with a wi
nining record on the road with a 7-6 mark. Under Matheny’s guidance, freshman forward Tyler Seibring earned a spot on the CAA All-Rookie team, the 11th player in the program’s Division I era and fifth under the head coach to earn the honor. The Phoenix shined in the classroom and had a league-high three student-athletes on the CAA All-Academic Team. The senior class of Tanner Samson, Tony Sabato, Sam Hershberger and Wes Brewer ended their career with 70 wins - the most by a senior class during the school’s Division I era.
During its inaugural season in the CAA in 2014-15, Matheny helped the Phoenix to a 15-win campaign following a season in which the team graduated four seniors with 1,000+ career points. Elon placed a league-high three student-athletes on the CAA All-Academic Team. The senior class of Austin Hamilton, Kevin Blake and Ryan Winters ended their career with 69 wins, which was the most by a senior class during the school’s Division I era at the time.
In 2013-14, Matheny helped the Phoenix to an 18-14 record, including an 11-5 mark against league competition. The team's eight-game winning streak tied the 2012-13 and 2005-06 teams for the longest winning streak during Elon's Division I era. Elon finished the year with four 1,000-point scorers on its roster in Lucas Troutman, Jack Isenbarger, Sebastian Koch and Ryley Beaumont, becoming only the third school in the nation to accomplish such a feat. Elon ended the year ranked first in the conference in free throw percentage (87th nationally) at 72.3 percent and second in the league (34th nationally) in threes per game at 8.0. Troutman earned first-team All-SoCon and All-District honors under Matheny, while Koch was picked up all-league honors as well.
Matheny guided the Phoenix to its best season ever at the Division I ranks in 2012-13. Elon ended the year with a 21-12 record, the most victories in a single season by the program at the Division I level and most since the 1973-74 season. Matheny helped Elon win the Southern Conference North Division title in 2013, the program’s first division crown since 2006. Matheny also helped Elon to its first postseason appearance at the Division I level, as the team earned an invitation to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) in 2013. He was a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top mid-major coach by CollegeInsider.com. He also guided the Phoenix to a No. 25 ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll during the week of Feb. 4, 2013.
Matheny helped the maroon and gold to 15 victories in 2011-12, the most wins for Elon since the team won 15 in 2005-06 en route to the SoCon North Division title. Matheny led the program to its first-ever win over a member of the SEC, as Elon defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks, 58-53, on November 15, 2011 inside Alumni Gym. Jack Isenbarger was all-conference selection by both the coaches and media and an All-Distrcit selection, while Austin Hamilton was named to the league’s All-Freshman team.
Matheny’s first season was spent establishing a new system and progress was evident as the team won the majority of its games in February and March. The new head coach started his career with a 91-86 win at Lipscomb, handing the Bisons their first ever season-opening loss in their home arena. The Phoenix swept defending SoCon Tournament champion Chattanooga and won an ESPNU Bracketbuster game for the first time since it began competing in the event four years ago. The season culminated in a highlight victory over perennial SoCon power Davidson in the first round of the league tournament. It was Elon’s first win over the Wildcats since the Phoenix joined the league in 2003-04.
In 2010-11, Matheny guided the Phoenix to 14 victories against one of the most challenging schedules that Elon has ever faced. The maroon and gold squared off with four ACC opponents - No. 1 Duke, Maryland, NC State and Wake Forest - and one SEC opponent in South Carolina. With the growth of the program, Elon has seen increased attendance at home games as four of the 13 games played in Alumni Gym were sold out. Following the year, the Southern Conference coaches selected senior guard Chris Long as a member of the all-league team, the first Phoenix player to earn All-Conference accolades since 2008. The coaches also named freshman Lucas Troutman to the league's all-freshman squad, the first for the program since 2006.
Prior to joining the Elon basketball program, Matheny spent 10 seasons (1993-2003) as an assistant coach for head coach Bob McKillop’s Wildcats before being promoted to the associate head coach in 2003. After spending another six campaigns (2003-09) in that role, Matheny was involved in more victories than any other assistant coach in Davidson’s history. He was part of 310 victories, 10 Southern Conference Division titles, five SoCon tournament championships, five NCAA tournament appearances and four postseason NIT trips. Matheny was instrumental in recruiting the best player in Davidson men's basketball history, NBA Champion and two-time league MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. He recruited and coached Curry during his time on staff, which led to Davidson’s memorable run to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in 2007-08. Curry was a two-time All-American and a two-time SoCon Player of the Year under Matheny.
“We were looking for a leader with integrity, character and enthusiasm ... Someone that had demonstrated the ability to lead and win," said Elon Director of Athletics Dave Blank. “We were looking for someone that is committed to the importance of the co-existence of athletic and academic excellence, who has been in that environment and would understand what we need to do here at Elon University to maintain integrity in both areas. We landed on Matt Matheny.”
Matheny, who was born in Shelby, N.C., and grew up in Statesville, N.C., was a three-sport standout at North Iredell High School and was recruited to play football at Davidson. He lettered four years for Davidson’s football team as a quarterback and wide receiver and two years as a point guard for the Wildcats’ men’s basketball squad before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1992.
Following graduation, Matheny headed overseas to Germany to play a summer of American football. It was then that McKillop contacted him about an assistant coaching job, a position he didn’t necessarily expect would become his life’s work. Having always planned to go to law school after college, Matheny assumed the job would be a stopover before he furthered his education.
Throughout Matheny’s time on the bench, Davidson produced 10 campaigns of 20 or more victories, three undefeated Southern Conference regular seasons, 26 All-SoCon players and six SoCon All-Freshman selections. McKillop has touted Matheny on numerous occasions for his excellent scouting and ability to communicate the information to the players. Matheny was a critical part of Davidson’s memorable run to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight during the 2007-08 season.
“Our program here at Elon is going to revolve around student-athletes,” Matheny said. “Our mission is to give our student-athletes a wonderful college experience. We are going to prepare these young men for life after Elon. That said, we want to go to the NCAA Tournament.”
Matheny and the former Jennifer Collins were married in June 2001. They are parents of Brock, a son born in April 2004, and Ava, a daughter born in March 2009.
|
The Matt Matheny File
|
| Birthdate |
February 11, 1970 |
| Hometown |
Statesville, N.C. |
| Alma Mater |
Davidson, 1992 |
| Degree |
History |
|
Coaching Experience
|
| 1993-09 |
Assistant Coach, Davidson College |
| 2009-2019 |
Head Coach, Elon University |
| Coaching Fast Facts |
- Guided the program to its first postseason tournament appearance as a Division I program as Elon earned a berth into the 2013 CIT tournament.
- Named the 2012-13 Southern Conference Coach of the Year.
- Led the Phoenix to its first 20-win season as a Division I program and the first in 25 years leading the Phoenix to a 21-12 record in 2012-13.
- Was a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award in 2012-13, which is presented annually to the nation’s top mid-major coach by CollegeInsider.com.
- Has guided the Phoenix to in-season CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 rankings in three seasons during his tenure (2017-18, 2016-17, 2012-13).
- Helped coach Davidson College to three NCAA Tournament appearances as an Associate Head Coach, including a run to the Elite Eight in 2007-08.
- Was named a court coach for the 2013 USA Basketball Men’s World University Games training camp. |
|
Playing Experience
|
| Fast Facts |
- Two-year letterwinner as a basketball player at Davidson
- Was a four-year letterwinner at Davidson in football as a quarterback and wide receiver.
- Played a summer after graduation playing professional football in Germany. |
|
Championship Teams (Coach/Assistant Coach)
|
| NCAA |
None |
| SoCon |
1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| CAA |
None |
|
Matt Matheny Coaching Records
|
| All-Time Record |
151-169 (.472) | 81-97 (.455) |
| 2009-10 |
9-23 (.281) | 5-13 SoCon (.277) |
| 2010-11 |
14-17 (.451) | 7-11 SoCon (.389) |
| 2011-12 |
15-16 (.483) | 9-9 SoCon (.500) |
| 2012-13 |
21-12 (.636) | 13-5 SoCon (.722) - SoCon North Division Title | CIT |
| 2013-14 |
18-14 (.563) | 11-5 SoCon (.688) |
| 2014-15 |
15-18 (.451) | 6-12 CAA (.333) |
| 2015-16 |
16-16 (.500) | 7-11 CAA (.389) |
| 2016-17 |
18-14 (.563) | 10-8 CAA (.555) |
| 2017-18 |
14-18 (.438) | 6-12 CAA (.333) |
| 2018-19 |
11-21 (.344) | 7-11 CAA (.389) |
|
Elon Player Honors By The Numbers Under Matheny (since 2009-10)
|
| CAA Dean Ehlers Leadership Award |
1 |
| CAA Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year |
2 |
| CAA Sixth Man of the Year |
1 |
| Conference Freshman of the Year |
1 |
| CAA Second Team All-Conference |
3 |
| CAA Third Team All-Conference |
1 |
| CAA All-Rookie Team |
2 |
| SoCon First Team All-Conference (Coaches) |
5 |
| SoCon First Team All-Conference (Media) |
2 |
| SoCon Second Team All-Conference (Media) |
3 |
| SoCon Third Team All-Conference (Media) |
2 |
| SoCon All-Rookie Team (Coaches) |
2 |
| SoCon All-Rookie Team (Media) |
2 |
| Conference Tournament MVP |
0 |
| Conference All-Tournament Team |
7 |
| Conference Player of the Week |
18 |
| Conference Rookie of the Week |
11 |
| Conference All-Academic Team |
24 |
| CoSIDA Academic All-Americans |
4 |
| CoSIDA Academic All-District |
8 |
| NABC All-District 10 |
2 |
| NABC All-District 22 |
1 |
