Manny Matsakis
 |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 16, 1962 New Britain, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Capital |
| Playing career | |
| 1987 | Indianapolis Colts |
| Position(s) | Placekicker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1989–1990 | Kansas State (assistant) |
| 1991–1993 | Hofstra (OC) |
| 1994 | Kansas State (TE/ST) |
| 1995–1998 | Emporia State |
| 1999 | Wyoming (OC/QB) |
| 2000–2002 | Texas Tech (ST) |
| 2003 | Texas State |
| 2008 | Capital (OC) |
| 2009 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (RB) |
| 2010–2012 | Enka HS (NC) |
| 2013–2014 | Bethany (KS) |
| 2015–2017 | Widener (OC) |
| 2018–2020 | Defiance |
| 2025-present | Ohio Valley Ironmen |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 43–62 (college) 13–23 (high school) |
Emmanouel M. Matsakis (born April 16, 1962) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently head coach of the Ohio Valley Ironmen, a minor league football team.[1] Matsakis has also served as the head football coach at Emporia State University from 1995 to 1998, at Texas State University in 2003, at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas from 2013 to 2014, and at Defiance College from 2018 to 2020.
Playing career
[edit]Matsakis is a 1984 graduate of Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, where he was a four-year letter winner and a three-time First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection as a kicker. He still currently holds the school record for longest field goal, a 54-yarder in 1981. He played for the Indianapolis Colts during the 1987 NFL season in which the league used replacement players due to a strike.
Coaching career
[edit]Emporia State
[edit]Matsakis was the 19th head football coach for Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas and he held that position for four seasons, from 1995 until 1998. His overall coaching record at Emporia State was 26–18.
Texas State
[edit]Matsakis was head coach at Texas State in San Marcos, Texas, in 2003 but was fired in early 2004, along with the school's athletic director, after an investigation found NCAA violations within the program, including extra practice time above the limit.[2] His overall coaching record at Texas State was 4–8.[3]
Assistant coaching and high school
[edit]During the mid 1990s, Matsakis served as an assistant coach at Hofstra University on Long Island. In 1999, Matsakis served as the offensive coordinator at the University of Wyoming. In 2000, he accepted the position of special teams coach at Texas Tech, where he coached until he became the head coach at Texas State for the 2003 season. Matsakis returned to Capital University when he was hired as the offensive coordinator for his alma mater on February 15, 2008, by new head coach Jim Bickel. Matsakis was hired by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to replace the ill Andy Cox as their running backs coach two weeks into the 2009 season.
In 2010, Matsakis was hired to be the head coach at Enka High School in Candler, North Carolina where his teams compiled a 13–23 record before resigning in 2013.[4]
Bethany
[edit]In March 2013, Matsakis was hired as the 17th head coach for the Bethany Swedes in Lindsborg, Kansas.[5] He remained there as head coach for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.[6][7]
Widener
[edit]Matsakis spent the three years, 2015 to 2017, as the offensive coordinator at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Defiance
[edit]In July 2018, Defiance College announced that it had selected Matsakis as head coach of the Yellow Jackets.[8] In August 2021, he was fired from the program and was replaced by Earnest Wilson, who was appointed interim head coach.[9]
Ohio Valley Ironmen
[edit]On October 30, 2024, Matsakis was named the head coach of the Ohio Valley Ironmen, a team that was originally to play in the International Football Alliance. Matsakis indicated that he had chosen the name because he was a fan of the original Ohio Valley Ironmen in the 1960s as a child.[1] After numerous legal issues with other IFA teams, the Ironmen revised their schedule to consist mostly of semi-pro teams from other leagues in April 2025, two months before its launch.[10]
Head coaching record
[edit]College
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emporia State Hornets (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) (1995–1998) | |||||||||
| 1995 | Emporia State | 5–6 | 4–5 | 6th | |||||
| 1996 | Emporia State | 5–6 | 5–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 1997 | Emporia State | 7–4 | 5–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1998 | Emporia State | 9–2 | 7–2 | 2nd | |||||
| Emporia State: | 26–18 | 21–15 | |||||||
| Texas State Bobcats (Southland Conference) (2003) | |||||||||
| 2003 | Texas State | 5–7 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| Texas State: | 5–7 | 2–3 | |||||||
| Bethany Swedes (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) (2013–2014) | |||||||||
| 2013 | Bethany | 2–9 | 1–8 | T–9th | |||||
| 2014 | Bethany | 6–5 | 5–4 | T–4th | |||||
| Bethany: | 8–14 | 6–12 | |||||||
| Defiance Yellow Jackets (Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference) (2018–2021) | |||||||||
| 2018 | Defiance | 1–9 | 1–7 | 8th | |||||
| 2019 | Defiance | 1–9 | 1–6 | T–7th | |||||
| 2020–21 | Defiance | 2–5 | 2–5 | 6th | |||||
| Defiance: | 4–23 | 4–18 | |||||||
| Total: | 43–62 | ||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Mayares, Dan (April 25, 2025). "Ohio Valley Ironmen to launch season in June at Monarch Stadium". WTRF. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ "Texas State fires AD, head football coach". ESPN.com. January 29, 2004. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ "Texas State - Cumulative Season Statistics". static.txstatebobcats.com. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ http://blogs.citizen-times.com/blogs/index.php?blog=15
- ^ Cormack, Beth (March 25, 2013). "Bethany College announces new Head Football Coach". bethanyswedes.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ^ "Bethany College Announces Paul Hubbard as New Head Football Coach". Victory Sports Network. December 16, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ "Bethany College announces new Head Football Coach". Today in Kansas. March 26, 2013. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ^ "Defiance selects Manny Matsakis as head football coach - News - Defiance College". www.defiance.edu. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
- ^ "College football: Matsakis leaves DC, Wilson named interim coach". www.crescent-news.com. August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ Novotney, Steve (April 25, 2025). "Ohio Valley Ironmen - Final Regular Season Schedule". ledenews.com. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
External links
[edit]- 1962 births
- Living people
- American football placekickers
- Bethany Swedes football coaches
- Capital Comets football coaches
- Capital Comets football players
- Defiance Yellow Jackets football coaches
- Emporia State Hornets football coaches
- Hofstra Pride football coaches
- Kansas State Wildcats football coaches
- Wyoming Cowboys football coaches
- Texas State Bobcats football coaches
- Texas Tech Red Raiders football coaches
- Widener Pride football coaches
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers coaches
- High school football coaches in North Carolina
- Kansas State University alumni
- Players of American football from New Britain, Connecticut
- NFL replacement players