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"I'm very intense. My players will play hard. We'll play defense. We'll play tough in the fullcourt and the halfcourt. A team should be a reflection of its coach. I go to work and work hard every day. I expect my players to do the same." Those were the words of head coach Philip Mathews as he accepted his appointment on July 11, 1995. For three years, Mathews promised his players the hard work would pay off and it did in 1997-98 as the Dons captured the West Coast Conference Tournament and NCAA tournament berth, the school’s first since resuming basketball in 1985-86. The 1996-97 season had seen the Dons come within minutes of the WCC championship and a NCAA berth, as the Dons lost a heartbreaker in the championship game. The following season was the year for the Dons to break through after two successful recruiting classes made them the preseason favorite. After making adjustments for injuries and illness, the team finally had the depth, athletic ability and talent to play the intense pressure game that Mathews prefers. The result was a West Coast Conference Tournament title. The Dons recorded their best record since returning to basketball in 1999-2000 (19 wins and just 9 losses), and at midseason were close to a top-20 ranking. Over the next two years, the Dons were hit very hard by injuries, especially at the point guard slot. Despite having to rework the backcourt, the Dons were able to finish the 2001-02 WCC season in a third place tie, behind NCAA teams Gonzaga and Pepperdine. USF pulled off a big Pete Newell Challenge win over Michigan at the Oakland Coliseum. In 2002-03, USF started slowly until redshirts James Bayless and Alvin Broussard became eligible. Down the stretch, USF won 14 of its last 22 games and was edged for second place the last weekend of the season. In 2003-04, Mathews overcame the loss of all-WCC wing John Cox and led the Dons to a 17-14 record. USF topped Ohio State and Pacific during the regular season and finished fourth in the WCC with a 7-7 mark. Along with his coaching staff, Mathews has recruited two West Coast Conference freshmen of the year, Darrell Tucker (2000) and Ali Thomas (1998). Tucker, a two-time all-WCC selection, was considered one of the top players to enter the league in many years. He averaged a double-double last year and was the league's top rebounder. The players that Mathews has brought in this year suit his prefered pressing, fast-breaking style. Mathews is considered by his peers to be an excellent strategist and developer of player talent. Prior to his arrival at USF, the 51-year-old Mathews won ten Western States Conference titles in ten seasons at Ventura College. His 1994-95 team won the California State Championship and was ranked second in the nation with a 37-1 record. Ventura had not won a league crown for 17 seasons before his arrival. The 1972 graduate of UC Irvine recorded a 298-56 mark over 10 years at Ventura. His teams won 30 or more games six times, including the last five seasons when Ventura recorded a 173-16 (.915) mark. As much as athletic success means to the highly-motivated Mathews, he has shown in the past that he expects from his players the same work ethic in the classroom as he gets from them on the court. "If you don't go to class and work hard, you're not going to play basketball here at USF," he proclaims. The graduation rate of players that complete their eligibility at USF bears this out. "My belief is that the development of the total person is important," he continued. "We will strive to help our players develop academically, emotionally and mentally, as well as athletically. We will demand 100% effort from our players on the court and in the classroom. Academic success is a high priority. We will be committed to seeing that our players receive a quality education." Mathews was one of five head men's basketball coaches selected by the NCAA to sit on its basketball issues committee that developed the new recruiting model. He is an avid reader and is often seen relaxing with a book in his spare time. Mathews and his wife, Margie, live in San Francisco with their two sons, 9-year-old Jordan, and Jonah, 6. Coach Mathews also has two older daughters, Sabrina, an occupational therapist in the Baltimore Area; and Akilah, a preschool teacher in the Philadelphia public school system.
University of San Francisco
Ventura College
Notes: Four-time State Coach of the Year...six-time conference Coach of the Year...ranked #1 in California three consecutive seasons...ranked #2 in the USA two straight seasons...eleven players recruited by Mathews for the 1994-95 season received Division I scholarships Mathews at a Glance:
Athletic History:
Coaching:
Administration:
JC Coaching Totals: 298-56, in 10 seasons |
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