Updated 9/14/2016
Gerry Matthews went 603-243 in 30 seasons as the head men's basketball coach at Stockton. Matthews is the winningest coach in New Jersey college basketball history and his Stockton teams never had a losing season. Matthews ranks among the top 20 coaches in NCAA Division III history in winning percentage (.713) and victories. He led Stockton to 16 NCAA Tournament berths, two Final Four appearances, and 18 20-win seasons, including his last five years. Matthews won NJAC championships in four different decades (1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s, 2010’s) for a total of nine league titles. In addition, his teams played in the NJAC championship game 16 times in 30 seasons.
Matthews became just the 16th NCAA Divison III coach to reach the 600-win mark as his troops topped Kean 76-56 on February 13, 2016. The Ospreys marched to their third consecutive NJAC championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2016. Matthews led Stockton to its second straight NJAC title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2014-15, a year after the Ospreys won the conference title and reached the NCAA Sweet 16. He was named NJAC Coach of the Year for the ninth time and NABC Atlantic District Coach of the Year after that 2013-14 run.
Matthews became the New Jersey men’s college wins leader with a 78-58 triumph over Farmingdale State on November 17, 2012, surpassing long-time Princeton coach Pete Carril. That accomplishment came not long after his 500th win at Stockton, which was an 83-60 victory over North Carolina Wesleyan on January 3, 2012.
Matthews coached Stockton to its best season ever in 2008-09 when the Ospreys returned to the Final Four for the first time since 1987 and advanced to the NCAA championship game. Stockton also won its sixth NJAC title and set a school record with 30 victories while Matthews earned NJAC Coach of the Year honors for the eighth time. In 2009-10, the Ospreys notched their third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth before finishing 20-8.
Matthews brought immediate success to Stockton upon his arrival in 1985. In just his second season, he led the Ospreys to their first NCAA Final Four ever and first of two straight NJAC championships. Stockton earned four consecutive NCAA berths from 1987-90 and later went to the NCAA Tournament three straight times from 1992-94. Matthews took a year off before returning to steer the Ospreys to a school-record 26 wins in 1995-96 and consecutive NJAC titles and NCAA berths in 1996 and 1997.
The next decade produced three 20-win seasons plus one NCAA berth and also included personal milestones for Matthews. He collected his 300th win at Stockton, 69-46 over Marywood, on November 16, 2001 and 400th win with an 80-50 victory over Rutgers-Camden on January 31, 2007. In 2007-08, Matthews returned the Ospreys to national prominence by leading them to their first NJAC championship in 11 years. After Stockton ended a nine-year NCAA Tournament drought and reached the Sweet 16, Matthews was named NABC Atlantic District Coach of the Year.
Before coming to Stockton, Matthews coached on the high school level at Long Branch and Rumson-Fair Haven where he achieved a 228-98 record and won two state championships in 13 years on the bench.
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