PERSONAL FILE
- Birthdate: Dec. 14, 1964- Native of Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Family includes: Wife, Carrie and sons Chase & Paxton
- 1992 graduate of Slippery Rock (Bachelor of Science degree in education)
AT UNF
* Named head coach on April 7, 2009* 133-131 (.503) career record in 8 seasons
* 76-60 (.559) record in ASUN play
* 8-9 (.471) in all postseason games (8-7 in ASUN Tournament)
* ASUN Regular Season Champions (2015 | 2016)
* ASUN Tournament Champions (2015)
* Two National Postseason appearances (2015 NCAA | 2016 NIT)
* Three appearances in ASUN Tournament Championship game (2011 | 2015 | 2017)
* Guided Ospreys to 5 regular season tournament titles
* Coached UNF to victories over Power 5 foes (Purdue in 2014-15 | Illinois in 2015-16)
* Earned Top 20 final ranking in CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll (2014-15)
* NCAA Div. 1 National Leader in 3-Pointers Made per Game (2016)
* Responsible for 8 of program's 13 1,000 Point Scorers
* Teams own every single season program record (except steals)
* His squads have produced 10 of program's 33 triple-digit scoring outputs
* Owns both of program's 20+ win seasons (23 in 2014-15 | 22 in 2015-16)
* Posted .500 or better record in ASUN play in 6 of 8 seasons as the helm
* Qualified for ASUN Tournament every season of his tenure
* UNF's attendance has been on the rise throughout Driscoll's tenure averaging more than 2,200 per game in each of the last three seasons, highlighted by the program record 2,856 per game average in 2015-16
* For the past four seasons, Driscoll has served as a voter for the USA Today/NABC Coaches Top 25 Poll
* Winningest coach in UNF program history
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT - UNF
* Nine ASUN All-Conference honorees* Three NABC All-District selections
* Two ASUN Players of the Year
* Two ASUN Freshmen of the Year
* Two ASUN Defensive Players of the Year
* Five ASUN All-Freshmen selections
* Eight ASUN All-Tournament selections
* One ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year
* Three ASUN All-Academic honorees
* 43 ASUN Academic Honor Roll members
* 24 ASUN Players of the Week
* 10 ASUN Newcomers of the Week
* 10 UNF players that have continued careers professionally
* Developed two players invited to Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and NBA Summer League
* Graduated 26 players that have completed careers at UNF
MEMORABLE DATES
- Nov. 18, 2009: First UNF victory vs Savannah State (57-46)- Dec. 23, 2009: Won first regular season tournament vs. Southern Miss (53-46)
- Nov. 24, 2010: Won Cancun Challenge vs. Morgan State (59-52)
- Jan. 2, 2010: First ASUN victory vs. Kennesaw State (66-60)
- Mar. 3, 2011: First ASUN Tournament victory vs Jacksonville (68-64)
- Mar. 5, 2011: First ASUN Tournament Championship Game appearance (L, 87-46 vs. Belmont)
- Dec. 3, 2011: First River City Rumble victory vs Jacksonville (80-58)
- Dec. 11, 2011: Took Kansas State to overtime (L, 79-68)
- Dec. 23, 2012: Won Las Vegas Classic vs. Georgia Southern (74-46)
- Dec. 31, 2013: 50th UNF victory vs Lipscomb (84-70)
- Nov. 26, 2014: Won Cancun Challenge vs. Elon (72-65)
- Dec. 6, 2014: Won at Purdue (73-70)
- Jan. 25, 2015: 50th ASUN victory vs Northern Kentucky (74-66)
- Mar. 8, 2015: Won ASUN Championship vs USC Upstate (63-57)
- Mar. 18, 2015: Made program debut in NCAA Tournament vs. Robert Morris (L, 81-77)
- Nov. 13, 2015: Won at Illinois (93-81)
- Nov. 18, 2015: Became winningest coach in UNF history vs Edward Waters (98-69)
- Nov. 27, 2015: 100th UNF victory vs Hartford (81-60)
- Nov. 28, 2015: Won Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational vs. St. Francis (78-65)
- Mar. 15, 2016: Hosted Florida in opening round of NIT
- Mar. 5, 2017: Advanced to ASUN Tournament Championship game
SEASON CAPSULES - UNF
2016-17: Ospreys
conclude the most successful four-year run in program history,
collecting 76 victories and featuring UNF's second appearance in the
ASUN Tournament Championship game in the last three years. Driscoll led
the program to an 8-6 mark in conference play (15-19 overall), marking
the fourth consecutive winning season in ASUN competition. Dallas Moore
capped his career with a second straight ASUN Player of the Year honor
while also becoming UNF's first 2,000-Point scorer and the state of
Florida's all-time leading scorer in Division I play. Freshman Wajid
Aminu was named ASUN Freshman of the Year and joined on the All-Freshman
squad by teammate Garrett Sams.
2015-16: North Florida captured back-to-back Atlantic Sun regular season titles and participated in a second straight national postseason tournament, hosting Florida in the opening round of the NIT. The Ospreys also recorded the most regular season wins (21) in program history and boasted a fourth straight winning record (10-4) in league play. Driscoll and his staff earned ASUN Coaching Staff of the Year while several players were honored by the league including Dallas Moore (Player of the Year/1st team All-ASUN), Demarcus Daniels (Defensive Player of the Year), Beau Beech (1st team All-ASUN).
2014-15: UNF captured the program's first Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in history, after claiming the Atlantic Sun Tournament crown. The Ospreys finished the year with record win totals overall (23-12) and in conference play (12-2), while also ending the season ranked 20th in the CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Mid-Major poll. Driscoll and his staff earned the ASun Coaching Staff of the Year award and also shared the yearly honor for District 3 of the NABC. Dallas Moore was named to the NABC District 3 second-team, marking the second such honor in UNF program history. The championship squad featured a pair of first-team All-Atlantic Sun performers (Beau Beech, Moore) along with the Defensive Player of the Year (Demarcus Daniels). A trio of players garnered ASun All-Tournament honors led by Daniels, the MVP, and joined by Moore and Jalen Nesbitt. The Ospreys ranked among the nation's leaders in three-point shooting, earning the moniker of "Birds of Trey", and also enjoyed some other historic victories including a program first win over a Power 5 program (Purdue) and a second tournament title at the Cancun Challenge.
2013-14: Driscoll led the Ospreys to a 16-16 overall record including a 10-8 mark in Atlantic Sun play with both win totals equalling then program records. UNF qualified for their fifth consecutive conference tournament while also posting a regular season sweep over league champion and NCAA Tournament participant Mercer. Freshman Dallas Moore earned the program's first A-Sun Freshman of the Year honor, while senior teammate Travis Wallace garnered second-team All-Atlantic Sun accolades. The team topped the 100-point mark in a game for the first time in the Division I Era and also bettered the program's four-season win total mark to 60 victories.
2012-13: Marked the first set of Driscoll recruits to complete their careers. The group helped guide the Ospreys to a 13-19 overall record (8-10 A-Sun) and fourth consecutive appearance in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. In addition, UNF compiled the most victories (57) in a four-year span in program history sending the senior class out as the winningest Osprey basketball group ever, before the group in 2013-14 topped the mark. Senior Parker Smith collected the program's first-ever All-Atlantic Sun Conference first-team honor while Beau Beech earned inclusion on the All-Freshman list. Smith and fellow senior Will Wilson both finished the season ranked among the Nation's Top 20 in several statistical categories.
2011-12: Driscoll led the Ospreys to unprecedented heights as UNF finished with a then program record 16 victories including a 10-8 mark in A-Sun play. North Florida boasted a record high 11 home victories, highlighted by a perfect 5-0 mark against non-conference foes along with a program best six league home wins. UNF collected its first ever regular season sweep of rival Jacksonville and Lipscomb while also tallying sweeps of A-Sun foes FGCU and Kennesaw State. The Ospreys earned their best finish in league play tying for fourth. Parker Smith named the All-Atlantic Sun (2nd team) marking just the third postseason honor for UNF in its Division I history.
2010-11: Driscoll followed up his solid debut campaign at the helm of the Ospreys with even more historic success in his second season including an appearance in the 2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament championship game. UNF’s run to the title contest was highlighted by victories over cross-town rival Jacksonville and an upset of second-seed ETSU.Ospreys finished in sixth place in the Atlantic Sun (ahead of their preseason picks of 7th-9th) and posted a 15-19 overall record including a 10-10 mark in conference play. The 10 A-Sun wins marked a then program best and the 15 overall victories were the most in North Florida’s Division I history and matched the then single season program high. The Ospreys captured the title at the Cancun Challenge (Mayan Division) marking a second consecutive in-season tournament crown while also matching a program record with a five-game win streak late in the season. Against A-Sun foes, Driscoll guided his 2010-11 group to more road wins (6) than the previous five seasons combined, while collecting program first victories at Mercer and Campbell. Andy Diaz and Jerron Granberry were both named to the A-Sun All-Tournament team, marking another first for the UNF program.
2009-10: Picked to finish last in the Atlantic Sun Conference's preseason polls in his inaugural season, Driscoll made an immediate impact leading UNF to a 13-18 overall record (8-12 in Atlantic Sun), a seventh-place finish and an ASUN Tournament appearance in the program's first year of eligibility for the event. In addition, Driscoll led the Ospreys to a five-win improvement ending the year just two victories shy of the program record and posted the best debut season ever by a UNF men's basketball coach. UNF also captured the tournament title at the Southern Mississippi Christmas Classic, becoming only the second Atlantic Sun team in league history to win a three-game, regular-season tournament.
2015-16: North Florida captured back-to-back Atlantic Sun regular season titles and participated in a second straight national postseason tournament, hosting Florida in the opening round of the NIT. The Ospreys also recorded the most regular season wins (21) in program history and boasted a fourth straight winning record (10-4) in league play. Driscoll and his staff earned ASUN Coaching Staff of the Year while several players were honored by the league including Dallas Moore (Player of the Year/1st team All-ASUN), Demarcus Daniels (Defensive Player of the Year), Beau Beech (1st team All-ASUN).
2014-15: UNF captured the program's first Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in history, after claiming the Atlantic Sun Tournament crown. The Ospreys finished the year with record win totals overall (23-12) and in conference play (12-2), while also ending the season ranked 20th in the CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Mid-Major poll. Driscoll and his staff earned the ASun Coaching Staff of the Year award and also shared the yearly honor for District 3 of the NABC. Dallas Moore was named to the NABC District 3 second-team, marking the second such honor in UNF program history. The championship squad featured a pair of first-team All-Atlantic Sun performers (Beau Beech, Moore) along with the Defensive Player of the Year (Demarcus Daniels). A trio of players garnered ASun All-Tournament honors led by Daniels, the MVP, and joined by Moore and Jalen Nesbitt. The Ospreys ranked among the nation's leaders in three-point shooting, earning the moniker of "Birds of Trey", and also enjoyed some other historic victories including a program first win over a Power 5 program (Purdue) and a second tournament title at the Cancun Challenge.
2013-14: Driscoll led the Ospreys to a 16-16 overall record including a 10-8 mark in Atlantic Sun play with both win totals equalling then program records. UNF qualified for their fifth consecutive conference tournament while also posting a regular season sweep over league champion and NCAA Tournament participant Mercer. Freshman Dallas Moore earned the program's first A-Sun Freshman of the Year honor, while senior teammate Travis Wallace garnered second-team All-Atlantic Sun accolades. The team topped the 100-point mark in a game for the first time in the Division I Era and also bettered the program's four-season win total mark to 60 victories.
2012-13: Marked the first set of Driscoll recruits to complete their careers. The group helped guide the Ospreys to a 13-19 overall record (8-10 A-Sun) and fourth consecutive appearance in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. In addition, UNF compiled the most victories (57) in a four-year span in program history sending the senior class out as the winningest Osprey basketball group ever, before the group in 2013-14 topped the mark. Senior Parker Smith collected the program's first-ever All-Atlantic Sun Conference first-team honor while Beau Beech earned inclusion on the All-Freshman list. Smith and fellow senior Will Wilson both finished the season ranked among the Nation's Top 20 in several statistical categories.
2011-12: Driscoll led the Ospreys to unprecedented heights as UNF finished with a then program record 16 victories including a 10-8 mark in A-Sun play. North Florida boasted a record high 11 home victories, highlighted by a perfect 5-0 mark against non-conference foes along with a program best six league home wins. UNF collected its first ever regular season sweep of rival Jacksonville and Lipscomb while also tallying sweeps of A-Sun foes FGCU and Kennesaw State. The Ospreys earned their best finish in league play tying for fourth. Parker Smith named the All-Atlantic Sun (2nd team) marking just the third postseason honor for UNF in its Division I history.
2010-11: Driscoll followed up his solid debut campaign at the helm of the Ospreys with even more historic success in his second season including an appearance in the 2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament championship game. UNF’s run to the title contest was highlighted by victories over cross-town rival Jacksonville and an upset of second-seed ETSU.Ospreys finished in sixth place in the Atlantic Sun (ahead of their preseason picks of 7th-9th) and posted a 15-19 overall record including a 10-10 mark in conference play. The 10 A-Sun wins marked a then program best and the 15 overall victories were the most in North Florida’s Division I history and matched the then single season program high. The Ospreys captured the title at the Cancun Challenge (Mayan Division) marking a second consecutive in-season tournament crown while also matching a program record with a five-game win streak late in the season. Against A-Sun foes, Driscoll guided his 2010-11 group to more road wins (6) than the previous five seasons combined, while collecting program first victories at Mercer and Campbell. Andy Diaz and Jerron Granberry were both named to the A-Sun All-Tournament team, marking another first for the UNF program.
2009-10: Picked to finish last in the Atlantic Sun Conference's preseason polls in his inaugural season, Driscoll made an immediate impact leading UNF to a 13-18 overall record (8-12 in Atlantic Sun), a seventh-place finish and an ASUN Tournament appearance in the program's first year of eligibility for the event. In addition, Driscoll led the Ospreys to a five-win improvement ending the year just two victories shy of the program record and posted the best debut season ever by a UNF men's basketball coach. UNF also captured the tournament title at the Southern Mississippi Christmas Classic, becoming only the second Atlantic Sun team in league history to win a three-game, regular-season tournament.
PRIOR TO UNF
In 2009, Yahoo! Sports called
Driscoll’s hiring at UNF a “Home Run.” In May of 2008, Driscoll was
voted as one of the top-10 assistant coaches in the nation in a national
survey of coaching professionals conducted and published by
FoxSports.com.
Driscoll came to UNF after spending six seasons as the top assistant at Baylor University. Along with BU head coach Scott Drew, Driscoll helped transform the Bears into Big XII contenders, leading them to the 2008-09 NIT finals and the 2007-08 NCAA Tournament.
The NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007-08 was Baylor’s first since 1988. Baylor came up one game shy of making a second-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament after falling in the final to Missouri at the 2009 Big XII Tournament. The Bears captured a win over top-seeded Kansas in that tournament before getting an invitation to the NIT. Baylor rode its hot streak all the way to the NIT finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The dream run included wins against Georgetown, Virginia Tech, Auburn and San Diego State, before falling to Penn State in the championship game.
Driscoll spent seven weeks on Drew’s staff at Valparaiso before making the move to Baylor. Prior to his brief stop at Valparaiso, Driscoll served as an assistant at Clemson from 1998 to 2003 under Larry Shyatt, current University of Wyoming head coach and former University of Florida assistant. He also worked as an assistant during Shyatt’s first tenure at Wyoming for the 1997-98 season. Driscoll helped guide both Clemson and Wyoming to berths in the NIT, before assisting with the rebuild of the Baylor program.
While at Clemson, Driscoll helped the Tigers to the 1999 NIT championship game. During the 1998-1999 campaign, the Tigers won 20 games, including four in the NIT, before losing to California by one point in the championship on the final possession. Driscoll also played a part in Clemson's three victories over North Carolina during a five-year period, including an upset over the top-ranked Tar Heels.
At Wyoming, the Cowboys recorded a 19-9 mark and earned a berth in the NIT. Wyoming won two games against top 10 teams that year, including an upset of national finalist Utah.
His basketball coaching experience began in 1988 when he served as the head coach of his high school alma mater at Pittsburgh’s Northgate High School. He served in that role from 1988-90 before stops at Butler (Pa.) County Community College (1990-91) and Seneca Valley High School (1991-93), where he served as an assistant coach at both schools. From 1993-97 Driscoll served as the head coach at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh. Driscoll’s experience also includes a stint as a volunteer assistant coach at Slippery Rock.
He also served as the president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Assistant Coaches Board of Directors, and has been a member of the organization since 1994, including a board member since 1998.
Driscoll came to UNF after spending six seasons as the top assistant at Baylor University. Along with BU head coach Scott Drew, Driscoll helped transform the Bears into Big XII contenders, leading them to the 2008-09 NIT finals and the 2007-08 NCAA Tournament.
The NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007-08 was Baylor’s first since 1988. Baylor came up one game shy of making a second-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament after falling in the final to Missouri at the 2009 Big XII Tournament. The Bears captured a win over top-seeded Kansas in that tournament before getting an invitation to the NIT. Baylor rode its hot streak all the way to the NIT finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The dream run included wins against Georgetown, Virginia Tech, Auburn and San Diego State, before falling to Penn State in the championship game.
Driscoll spent seven weeks on Drew’s staff at Valparaiso before making the move to Baylor. Prior to his brief stop at Valparaiso, Driscoll served as an assistant at Clemson from 1998 to 2003 under Larry Shyatt, current University of Wyoming head coach and former University of Florida assistant. He also worked as an assistant during Shyatt’s first tenure at Wyoming for the 1997-98 season. Driscoll helped guide both Clemson and Wyoming to berths in the NIT, before assisting with the rebuild of the Baylor program.
While at Clemson, Driscoll helped the Tigers to the 1999 NIT championship game. During the 1998-1999 campaign, the Tigers won 20 games, including four in the NIT, before losing to California by one point in the championship on the final possession. Driscoll also played a part in Clemson's three victories over North Carolina during a five-year period, including an upset over the top-ranked Tar Heels.
At Wyoming, the Cowboys recorded a 19-9 mark and earned a berth in the NIT. Wyoming won two games against top 10 teams that year, including an upset of national finalist Utah.
His basketball coaching experience began in 1988 when he served as the head coach of his high school alma mater at Pittsburgh’s Northgate High School. He served in that role from 1988-90 before stops at Butler (Pa.) County Community College (1990-91) and Seneca Valley High School (1991-93), where he served as an assistant coach at both schools. From 1993-97 Driscoll served as the head coach at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh. Driscoll’s experience also includes a stint as a volunteer assistant coach at Slippery Rock.
He also served as the president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Assistant Coaches Board of Directors, and has been a member of the organization since 1994, including a board member since 1998.
YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD (Head Coach)
Sessions in which Matt Driscoll participates
8:30 AM
8:30 AM
- PDS Coaching Clinic: “UNF Basketball: Urgency Never Fails!!!” Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center - 221 AB
- 8:30 AM - 9:15 AM | 45 minutes