Nick Matson - Men's Basketball Coach - East Carolina University Athletics

Nick Matson

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
matsonn22@ecu.edu
Phone:
(252) 737-4592

Nick Matson is in his second season as assistant coach at East Carolina University.

Matson arrives in Greenville off a three-year stint from 2018-21 as assistant coach at UTEP.

In El Paso, Matson assisted in the rebuilding of a UTEP program which saw continuous improvement over three years. During the 2019-20 campaign the Miners won 17 games, nine more than the previous season and the largest win improvement of any team in Conference-USA; more than doubling their Conference USA win total. UTEP posted its first winning season in four years and made a return to the C-USA Tournament. The Miners finished with a 13-4 record in the Haskins Center - the most home wins in four years.

"Nick is a true professional and is as good a coach as there is in the country," Schwartz said. "I saw firsthand how impactful he is as a coach and a person during our four years together at Fresno State. Everywhere Nick has been he has helped build successful programs. He understands all aspects of what it takes to create a strong culture. Nick is elite on the floor with player development and has recruited all over the country. His background as a player at VMI and his experiences as a coach, make Nick the total package both on and off the court. We are very lucky to have Nick and his wife Jessica with us here in Greenville."

At UTEP, Matson aided in the recruitment and development of two of the most successful players in Conference-USA, Bryson Williams and Souley Boum. Both student-athletes were All-Conference USA selections for multiple years.

Matson came to UTEP after seven seasons (2011-18) at Fresno State, most recently as an assistant coach. The Bulldogs logged 20 wins or more in four of the last five seasons, won the Mountain West Conference title in 2016 and made three postseason tournament appearances (2014 CBI, 2016 NCAA, 2017 NIT). From 2015-2018, the Bulldogs were one of the most successful Group of 5 Basketball programs in the country, earning an NCAA Tournament berth in 2016 and an NIT at-large selection in 2017.

Matson played an extensive role in the Bulldogs' player development and scouting. Fresno State had multiple All-Conference selections, including 2015-16 Mountain West Player of the Year Marvelle Harris. During the 2017-18 season, guard Deshon Taylor garnered first team All-MWC honors after averaging 17.8 points per game. Forward Bryson Williams was a third team All-MWC selection. Sam Bittner and Jahmel Taylor were among the MWC and national leaders in three-point shooting during the 2017-18 season.

Prior to being elevated to assistant coach, Matson spent five years as Director of Basketball Operations and one season as graduate assistant at Fresno State.

Matson spent the 2010-11 season as the graduate assistant at Murray State under head coach Billy Kennedy. The Racers finished 23-9, won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship and fashioned a 14-4 mark in league play. Matson assisted with video, scouting and player development at Murray State, working with All-American guard and future NBA player Isaiah Canaan.

Matson began his career as a coaching intern at Stanford under Johnny Dawkins during the 2009-10 season. He assisted with recruiting administration, team operations and scouting reports.

Matson received his bachelor's degree in Psychology from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 2009. He was a guard for the Keydets from 2006-08. VMI employed an up-tempo offense that set all-time NCAA records for points per game, steals, and three-pointers made in a season. In 2008-09, Matson served as undergraduate assistant coach, one of the most successful seasons in VMI history. The Keydets finished 24-8, including an upset victory over Kentucky at Rupp Arena. The Keydets advanced to the 2007 and 2009 Big South Conference Championship games.