Ron Mattes joined the Elon staff in February of 2011 as the Phoenix’s offensive line coach after spending the 2010 season in the same capacity at the University of Virginia.
In his first year with the maroon and gold, Mattes helped senior lineman Ned Cuthbertson earn first-team All-SoCon honors. Red-shirt freshman Austin Sowell was a SoCon All-Freshman Team selection as well.
A year ago, Mattes helped senior Justin Ward to second-team All-SoCon accolades.
Mattes was an All-ACC performer at UVa before an eight-year NFL career. Mattes played professionally for Seattle, Chicago and Indianapolis.
Mattes started his collegiate coaching career at James Madison University, spending four seasons working with tight ends, tackles, defensive line and offensive line during his tenure. He stepped aside from the collegiate ranks in order to coach his son through middle school and high school.
After wrapping up his professional playing career, Mattes started coaching at Issaquah High School in Washington in 1994. A year later he joined the staff at JMU. After deciding to step away from the college ranks to raise his family, he coached offense and defensive lines and long snappers at Harris Road Middle School in Concord, N.C., during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Starting in 2005 he coached at Concord’s Jay M. Robinson High School, overseeing the long snappers, as well as the defensive and offensive lines.
Mattes’ business background includes experience as a mortgage loan officer and in NASCAR licensed and corporate apparel. He was a sales manager for VF Imagewear for seven years before establishing Cavalier Sales and Marketing where he served as president for four years.
At UVa, Mattes was a member of the 1984 team that defeated Purdue in the 1984 Peach Bowl. He graduated in 1985 with a degree in psychology.
A native of Ringtown, Pa., Mattes and his wife, Susan, have three children - Nicole, R.J. and Amber.
