Manny Matsakis

Manny Matsakis

Biographical details
Born	(1962-04-16) April 16, 1962 New Britain, Connecticut, U.S.
Playing career
1980–1983	Capital
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)
2018–2021	Defiance
Head coaching record
Overall	43–62 (college) 13–23 (high school)

Manny Matsakis (born Emmanouel M. Matsakis; April 16, 1962) is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach at Defiance College, a position he held from 2018 to 2021. Matsakis has also served as the head football coach at Emporia State University from 1995 to 1998, at Texas State University in 2003, and at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas from 2013 to 2014.

Playing career

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.

Coaching career

Emporia State

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

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. His overall coaching record at Texas State was 4–8.

Assistant coaching and high school

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.

Bethany

In March 2013, Matsakis was hired as the 17th head coach for the Bethany Swedes in Lindsborg, Kansas. He remained there as head coach for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Widener

Matsakis spent the three years, 2015 to 2017, as the offensive coordinator at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Defiance

In July 2018, Defiance College announced that it had selected Matsakis as head coach of the Yellow Jackets. In August 2021, he was fired from the program and was replaced by Earnest Wilson, who was appointed interim head coach.

Head coaching record

College

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

External links

• Defiance profile