Who Is MATT MATTOX?

Offensive Line Coach / Running Game Coordinator​

Matt Mattox grew up in Kansas, was a second team junior college All-American tight end at Butler Community College, played TE and OT for the Houston Cougars and Art Biles, graduated in 2005, and became a GA for the program alongside fellow GA, Sterlin Gilbert.

Coaching timeline and highlights:

2007-11 Offensive line/tight ends coach at Butler CC: coached 31 all-conference offensive linemen and six junior college All-Americans
2012 Offensive coordinator at Coffeyville Community College: five offensive players earned all-conference honors, including a sophomore C and a freshman OG
2013 Offensive line coach at Eastern Illinois: coached two 3rd team All-American linemen (OT and OG)
2014 Co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Bowling Green: one of his linemen was named to the 2nd team All-Mid-American Conference
2015 Co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Tulsa: Tulsa ranked 14th nationally in total offense, 25th in scoring, and 11th in passing that year​

In addition to playing and coaching offensive lines, he starred as Caleb Pontipee in 1954's Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.

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At Tulsa, Gilbert and Mattox inherited a line that was hardly a group you’d want to build a dominant run game around:



Basically both tackles were Marcus Hutchins and there was little size or meaningful experience anywhere except at guard. But that hardly mattered, because the design of the system is such that they’re usually only prominently involved on a play when the defense presents an under-manned front against the run or the QB is throwing deep off play-action. It’s probably the easiest offense to play OL for in all of college football.

The running backs are almost always running between the tackles on undermanned fronts so adherents of this offense have generally gone for bigger, power backs that love to run through arm tackles from late-arriving DBs.

The offensive line is usually either blocking at angles or getting in the way so size and power are key but the system can emphasize whatever style of run schemes the line can execute well when at advantage. There’s usually a TE involved and he’s a pure blocker that rarely has to do much in the way of receiving save for POP passes in the red zone.

Many teams have had some success slowing down Baylor by bringing linebackers into the box late and daring the Bear QBs to make the right post-snap reads and be efficient enough throwing bubble screens and hitch routes on deep safeties to sustain drives. In fact, Iowa State tried this strategy on Texas last year and shut ‘em out.

Here’s the good news; first of all the Texas offense has an OL and skill talent that can do obscene damage in this offense if Gilbert and his staff can develop a QB and get this system installed in a single offseason.

The OL and run game in particular is likely to be a hammer with big D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren alternating in and plowing through frozen linebackers. What’s more, no opposing defense wants to face Connor Williams, Kent Perkins, or Patrick Vahe next season without sending extra help into the box.

[Full IT article]

Youtube Quotes:

Well, number one up front, we've got to be physical, take care of the trenches and do a great job of running the football. You know, if you can establish the run game for us and be able to put the defense in a bind and that starts with being physical.

And then, when it's time to protect and we want to throw down the field, we want to have fast guys on the edges and be able to hit things deep, so it going to start with being physical up front; and that's something we're going to promote and create, and we gotta get that going and our guys've gotta really be ready to buy into that in spring ball and going forward.​

More Youtube Quotes:

On his coaching style: We're gonna coach 'em hard, but at the end of the day we're gonna love 'em hard, too... We're going to be physical in whatever we do, whether it's run or pass blocking.

On the types of recruits he wants: We're always looking for big, athletic guys that can bend and move, that are physical - when you turn on film, you know it's easier to pull 'em back than it is to tell them to go attack, so we definitely like that and want that style of linemen.

On practicing: I've already talked to a couple of strength coaches... We don't freak out when, after day two, they can't move.

On game strategy: We all are very competitive, so when we get an opportunity and we smell blood, we're going to go after it.​

 

Nice work.

 

Yup, some good data there - like his approach and strategy.

 

Sure but is the blocking sled in use?

 

I get the impression that Wickline is a super knowledgable and talented guy who maybe just doesn’t have his heart in the work like he used to. Or maybe more likely the handling of the OSU lawsuit soured him on UT.

 

Wickline was never all in. Adios mofo, we got championships to win. Enjoy the banjos and moonshine.

 

If Hudson flips from Baylor to Texas, Mattox will have earned his first year's salary before the season even starts