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Michael Chester Matthews, also known as Mickey Matthews, (born November 8, 1953 in Andrews, Texas) is the head football coach at James Madison University, and has served in that role since 1999. Under Matthews's leadership, James Madison achieved a Division 1AA national football championship in 2004. His overall record as a head coach at JMU is 64-44.[1]
[edit] Career
Matthews started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Lamar High School, in Texas, working with offensive backs. During the 1978 season, he joined Kansas State University, as an assistant coach. During the 1980-1981 seasons, he served as a defensive coordinator of Southwest Texas State. From 1982-1985, he became an assistant coach at UTEP. In the following 1986 season, he worked at the University of Houston as a defensive backs coach. In the 1987 season, he held that same position, only at Texas Christian University. During the 1988 and 1989 seasons, he coached at Southwest Texas State. From 1990-1995, he served as the assistant head coach at Marshall University. From 1996-1998, he became an assistant coach at the University of Georgia. Finally, since 1999, he has been 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, an Atlantic 10 title, and the school's first postseason appearance since 1995. Matthews won the Eddie Robinson Award that year, annually given to the top head coach in the Football Championship Subdivision of Division 1 football. Five years later, after failing to make the postseason four years in a row, Matthews finally lead the Dukes to the playoffs again. They became the first team to ever win three straight road games and win the National Championship. The Dukes would make the playoffs again in 2006 and 2007. On February 25, 2008, amidst rumors of leaving JMU to help start the football program at The University of South Alabama, Coach Matthews signed an extension with JMU to coach through the 2012 season. [2]
| Year |
Team |
Overall |
Conference |
Standing |
Bowl |
Rank# |
| James Madison Dukes (Atlantic 10) (1999 – 2006) |
| 1999 |
James Madison University |
8-3-0 |
7-1-0 |
1st |
L 27-7 vs Troy State FCS First Round |
|
| 2000 |
James Madison University |
6-5-0 |
4-4-0 |
4th |
|
|
| 2001 |
James Madison University |
2-9-0 |
0-9-0 |
11th |
|
|
| 2002 |
James Madison University |
5-7-0 |
3-6-0 |
9th |
|
|
| 2003 |
James Madison University |
6-6-0 |
4-5-0 |
7th |
|
|
| 2004 |
James Madison University |
13-2-0 |
7-1-0 |
T-1st |
W 31-21 vs. University of Montana FCS Championship |
|
| 2005 |
James Madison University |
7-4-0 |
5-3-0 |
2nd-South |
|
| 2006 |
James Madison University |
9-3-0 |
7-1-0 |
1st-South |
L 35-31 vs Youngstown State University FCS First Round |
|
| James Madison Dukes (CAA) (2007 — present) |
| 2007 |
James Madison University |
8-4-0 |
6-2-0 |
2nd-South |
L 28-27 vs Appalachian State University FCS First Round |
12 |
| Total: |
64-44-0 |
|
| National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title |
| †Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season. |
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[edit] References
[edit] External links
