 Matthews in July 2009 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1953-11-08)November 8, 1953 (age 71) Andrews, Texas, U.S. |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1978 | Kansas State (assistant) |
| 1980–1981 | West Texas State (DB) |
| 1982–1985 | UTEP (DB) |
| 1986 | Houston (DB) |
| 1987 | TCU (DB) |
| 1988–1989 | Southwest Texas State (DC) |
| 1990–1995 | Marshall (DC) |
| 1996–1998 | Georgia (DB/LB) |
| 1999–2013 | James Madison |
| 2016–2017 | Coastal Carolina (DC) |
| 2020 | Dallas Renegades (LB/DQC) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 109–71 |
| Tournaments | 7–5 (NCAA D-I-AA/D-I playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1NCAA Division I-AA (2004) 2Atlantic 10 (1999, 2004) 1CAA (2008) | |
| Awards | |
| 2×Eddie Robinson Award (1999, 2008) AFCA NCAA Division I-AA Coach of the Year (2004) Liberty Mutual FCS COY 2008) CAA Coach of the Year (2008) | |
Michael Chester "Mickey" Matthews (born November 8, 1953) is a formerAmerican football coach. He served as the head football coach atJames Madison University (JMU) from 1999 to 2013, compiling a record of 109–71. Matthews coached the2004 James Madison Dukes football team to anNCAA Division I-AA Football Championship.[1]
Matthews started his coaching career as an assistant coach atLamar Consolidated High School, in Texas, working with offensive backs. During the 1978 season, he joinedKansas State University, as an assistant coach. During the 1980 and 1981 seasons, he served as thedefensive coordinator at his alma mater, West Texas State—now known asWest Texas A&M University. From 1982 to 1985, he was an assistant coach at theUniversity of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). In the following 1986 season, he worked at theUniversity of Houston as a defensive backs coach. In the 1987 season, he held that same position atTexas Christian University (TCU). During the 1988 and 1989 seasons, he coached at Southwest Texas State University—now known asTexas State University. From 1990 to 1995, he served as the assistant head coach atMarshall University. From 1996 to 1998 he coached defensive backs and linebackers at theUniversity of Georgia. TheGeorgia Bulldogs won twobowl games during his tenure. At Georgia, Matthews coachedChamp Bailey, a consensus selection to the1998 College Football All-America Team and theWashington Redskins first-round choice in the1999 NFL draft.[2] Matthews left Georgia in January 1999 to become the defensive coordinator atBaylor University, but resigned two months later to take the head coaching position atJames Madison University.[3]
From 1999 to 2013, Matthews was the head coach at James Madison University. The team had gone 3–8 in the year before, but Matthews turned them around that season and led them to an 8–4 record, anAtlantic 10 Conference title, and the school's first postseason appearance since 1995. Matthews won theEddie Robinson Award that year, annually given to the top head coach in NCAA Division I-AA football. Five years later, after failing to make the postseason four years in a row, the Dukes finally made the playoffs again. They became the first team to win three straight road games on the way to anNCAA Division I-AA Football Championship, defeating theMontana Grizzlies, 31–21, in the2004 Championship Game. The Dukes made the playoffs again in 2006 and 2007, losing in the first round each time. On February 25, 2008, amidst rumors that he might leave James Madison to help start the football program at theUniversity of South Alabama, Matthews signed an extension with JMU to coach through the 2012 season.[4] On September 27, 2008, JMU beat University of Maine 24–10, earning Matthews his 68th career win at JMU to become the school's all-time winningest coach.[5] On November 22, 2008, the Matthews led Dukes defeatedTowson University to finish conference play undefeated, winning the CAA outright and qualifying for their third straight FCS playoff appearance. On January 7, 2010, Matthews signed a one-year extension to his contract which extended through the 2013 season.[6] During the 2012 season, Matthews gained his 100th career win in a hard-fought, 13–10 victory against conference foeTowson.[7]
On November 25, 2013, JMU athletic director Jeff Bourne announced that Matthews had been fired.[8] This came after the Dukes finished the 2013 season 6–6 and missed the FCS playoffs for the fourth time since advancing to the NCAA Semifinals in 2008.
On September 11, 2010, the Dukes upset then No. 13Virginia Tech, 21–16 in front of 66,233 atLane Stadium inBlacksburg. James Madison became the secondNCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team in college football history to knock off a rankedNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent, followingAppalachian State, which upset No. 5Michigan in 2007.[9] Later that season theHokies went on to win theACC Championship and finished ranked #15, making the JMU upset even more remarkable, especially considering that the Dukes finished the season with a 6–5 record (5–5 against FCS competition). After the game, Matthews referred to the victory as "the biggest win in my professional career"—even bigger than the 2004 national championship.[10]
After his firing, Matthews joinedCoastal Carolina as defensive coordinator in 2016. On December 7, 2017, he announced his retirement from coaching.[11]
In 2019, he was hired byDallas Renegades head coachBob Stoops as linebackers and defensive quality control coach.[12]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | TSN# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison Dukes(Atlantic 10 Conference)(1999–2006) | |||||||||
| 1999 | James Madison | 8–4 | 7–1 | T–1st | LNCAA Division I-AA First Round | 13 | |||
| 2000 | James Madison | 6–5 | 4–4 | 4th | 25 | ||||
| 2001 | James Madison | 2–9 | 0–9 | 11th | |||||
| 2002 | James Madison | 5–7 | 3–6 | 9th | |||||
| 2003 | James Madison | 6–6 | 4–5 | 7th | |||||
| 2004 | James Madison | 13–2 | 7–1 | T–1st | WNCAA Division I-AA Championship | 1 | |||
| 2005 | James Madison | 7–4 | 5–3 | 2nd(South) | 25 | ||||
| 2006 | James Madison | 9–3 | 7–1 | 1st(South) | LNCAA Division I First Round | 9 | |||
| James Madison Dukes(Colonial Athletic Association)(2007–2013) | |||||||||
| 2007 | James Madison | 8–4 | 6–2 | 2nd(South) | LNCAA Division I First Round | 12 | |||
| 2008 | James Madison | 12–2 | 8–0 | 1st(South) | LNCAA Division I Semifinal | 3 | |||
| 2009 | James Madison | 6–5 | 4–4 | T–5th(South) | |||||
| 2010 | James Madison | 6–5 | 3–5 | T–8th | |||||
| 2011 | James Madison | 8–5 | 5–3 | T–5th | LNCAA Division I Second Round | 15 | |||
| 2012 | James Madison | 7–4 | 5–3 | 6th | 19 | ||||
| 2013 | James Madison | 6–6 | 3–5 | T–9th | |||||
| James Madison: | 109–71 | 71–52 | |||||||
| Total: | 109–71 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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