Mickey Matthews is Officially Back
Back in college football that is. Yesterday Coastal Carolina University named Mickey Matthews its defensive coordinator. Mickey had been working as a television commentator for the past two years after being relieved of his duties as head coach of the JMU football team. He’s JMU’s winningest coach. While with the Dukes he won three conference titles and of course led JMU to the 2004 FCS National Championship. He also was recognized as the National Coach of the Year three times.
Matthews joins a CCU team coached by Joe Moglia, that is in the process of transitioning to FBS. Currently in the FCS’s Big South Conference, Mickey and the Chanticleers will join the FBS’s Sun Belt Conference. The school will officially become a Sun Belt member in July 2016, with all teams but football competing in the league next Fall. Football however will compete in the Sun Belt in 2017 and become a full FBS member eligible for the post season in 2018.
We hadn’t really been following Mickey’s career since he left JMU. As a result, this news was a bit of a shock. He’s a heck of a defensive coach and a good get for CCU though. We wish him well and look forward to following his progress with the Chanticleers.
I hear JMU was in the market for a DC…….
Isn’t it ironic that Coach Matthews will be getting to the FBS level before JMU? And I guess we all know how long Coach Withers was willing to wait for JMU to ‘transition’ to the FBS. Do we know if any of JMU’s Assistants are following him? I’m no fan of the Sunbelt but I haven’t heard anything about the MAC or AAC in a couple of years. With this in mind, what is our ‘road map’ from here…realistically.
Love that Mickey got this gig right as Everett abandoning JMU for the lowest of low level teams in the FBS. Money speaks.
Glad he landed on his feet. Getting fired sucks, and he wasn’t all that bad. No ill will towards him or Withers, hey life goes on.