UTRGV Athletics hired 2017-18 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Coach of the Year
Matt Figger, who had been the head coach at Austin Peay for the previous four seasons, as the men’s basketball head coach on March 29, 2021.
2023-24: In Figger’s third season, helped UTRGV to first win over Utah Valley in four years as well as an overtime victory over Seattle U, one of the top teams in the WAC … Non-conference victories highlighted by road win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union … UTRGV ranked 20
th in the NCAA and third in the WAC in free throw attempts per game (23.5), 37
th in the NCAA and third in the WAC in turnovers forced per game (14.45), 46
th in the NCAA and third in the WAC in steals per game (8.1), and 55
th in the NCAA and first in the WAC in fastbreak points per game (12.61) … Team went 513-for-728 from the foul line, with each mark ranking fifth in program history … Coached
Elijah Elliott to pair of WAC Newcomer Player of the Week honors.
2022-23: In Figger’s second season, helped UTRGV nearly double its win total, jumping to 15 wins … UTRGV scored 2,518 points, the second-highest total in program history while also ranking third in field goal defense (.442) and free throw attempts (802), fourth 3-point defense (.332) and free throws made (560), and sixth in 3-pointers made (222) … Team led the NCAA and the WAC in free throw attempts per game (25.1) while ranking fourth in the NCAA and first in the WAC in free throws made per game (17.5) … Team ranked 18
th in the NCAA and second in the WAC in fastbreak points per game (13.94), 23
rd in the NCAA and second in the WAC in assists per game (15.8), 29
th in the NCAA and second in the WAC in scoring (78.7), 31
st in the NCAA and third in the WAC in defensive rebounds per game (37.84), 34
th in the NCAA and third in the WAC in rebounds per game (37.84), 46
th in the NCAA and second in the WAC in field goal shooting (46.9%), 68
th in the NCAA and fourth in the WAC in rebounding margin (3.5), and 74
th in the NCAA and third in the WAC in effective field goal percentage (52.9%) … Coached
Justin Johnson to All-WAC First Team honors and
Daylen Williams to UTRGV Male Newcomer of the Year recognition.
2021-22: In Figger’s first season at the helm, he helped UTRGV get off to a hot start, with a 4-2 record that was a bucket away from behind 5-1 entering a matchup at #14 Illinois that UTRGV almost won despite dressing only seven players, as the game was tied at 82 with 3:03 remaining and was still a one possession game with 1:57 to go … Figger led UTRGV to their largest-ever margin of victory over UTSA, winning by 18 on the road, as well as a WAC sweep of Lamar … Figger coached
Justin Johnson to All-WAC Second Team and All-Newcomer Team honors. As of March 9, Figger’s squad led the NCAA in free throw attempts (717) while ranking eighth in makes (498) … The Vaqueros were also 94
th in three-point defense (32.1%).
Austin Peay (2017-21): Figger compiled a 76-51 (.598) record, including a 49-25 (.662) mark in OVC play.
When Figger arrived at Austin Peay in 2017-18, he took a team that had gone 11-19 (7-9 OVC) the previous year and guided them to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) Quarterfinals, ending the season with a 19-15 record (12-6 OVC). Figger’s teams went on to go 22-11 (13-5 OVC) in 2018-19 and 21-12 (14-4 OVC) in 2019-20 before finishing this past season 14-13 (10-10 OVC).
Under Figger’s tutelage, the Governors made one of the NCAA’s largest defensive turnarounds in 2017-18, going from allowing 83.8 points per game (ppg) to 71.2 ppg, with the 12.6 drop in points allowed the second-largest in the nation.
In his second season, the Governors reached 20 victories for the first time since 2010-11. Figger also became the first Austin Peay coach with double-digit conference wins in his first two seasons.
Among the student-athletes to play under Figger was two-time OVC Player of the Year
Terry Taylor, who recorded an NCAA-best 20 double-doubles in 27 games this past season while also leading the NCAA in offensive rebounding at 5.15 per game.
Off the court, Figger’s teams displayed impressive academic prowess, recording a team grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in each of his last three semesters. This includes a 3.538 GPA in the fall of 2020 and a 3.542 in the spring of 2020.
Off the court, Figger’s teams were active in the community. In 2019, for example, student-athlete
Zach Glotta was one of 46 Division I basketball players nominated to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Give Back Team, recognizing men's basketball student-athletes for outstanding community service.
South Carolina (2012-17): Figger went to Austin Peay on the heels of a whirlwind Final Four run as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at South Carolina. The Gamecocks were the East Region champion, taking down Marquette, Duke, Baylor and Florida. Figger, who was at South Carolina from 2012-17, assisted in the revival of a program that hadn't enjoyed a 20-win season since 2008-09, had not advanced to an NCAA Tournament since 2003-04, and had not won an NCAA Tournament game since 1973.
Kansas State (2007-12): Figger arrived in South Carolina after serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Kansas State from 2007-12. There, Figger was part of a staff that secured at least 21 wins and finished fifth or better in the Big 12 each season. In his first season, Kansas State won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1988 while posting a 20-win season – just its fourth since 1990. The 2008-09 squad posted 22 wins and earned an at-large bid to the NIT, which set the stage for a record-setting season in 2009-10, when the team posted a school-record 29 wins en route to the program's first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance in over two decades. The Wildcats defeated six ranked opponents that season, finishing the year ranked seventh in both the Associated Press and ESPN/
USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls.
Figger signed two McDonald's All-Americans at Kansas State, including 2008 National Freshman and Player of the Year
Michael Beasley, a first-round pick in the NBA Draft. Beasley was one of five All-Americans tutored by Figger.
South Alabama (2003-07): Prior to his time at Kansas State, Figger served a brief stint as the director of operations at Arkansas (April-June 2007), which followed five seasons as an assistant coach at South Alabama (2003-07). South Alabama enjoyed some of its greatest success during Figger's time on staff, especially the final two seasons when the team reached the NCAA Tournament and NIT, respectively.
Junior College (1993-02): Prior to his time at South Alabama, Figger spent 10 years as an assistant coach in the junior college ranks, including stints at Wabash Valley (1993-94), Vincennes (1994-99) and Odessa College (2000-02). His teams won 20 or more games eight times, captured six region and four district titles and advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament four times.
Personal: Originally from Jenkins, Ky., Figger earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Eastern Kentucky in 1995. He played baseball at Pikeville College from 1990-91 before completing his education at Eastern Kentucky.
Figger and his wife Katrina have one son, Vince.
| Year |
School |
Position |
W |
L |
Pct. |
W |
L |
Pct. |
| 1993-94 |
Wasbash Valley Junior College |
Assistant Coach |
29 |
3 |
.906 |
|
|
|
|
Wasbash Valley Junior College |
Total |
29 |
3 |
.906 |
|
|
|
| 1994-95 |
Vincennes |
Assistant Coach |
28 |
8 |
.778 |
|
|
|
| 1995-96 |
Vincennes |
Assistant Coach |
21 |
10 |
.677 |
|
|
|
| 1996-97 |
Vincennes |
Assistant Coach |
28 |
8 |
.778 |
|
|
|
| 1997-98 |
Vincennes |
Assistant Coach |
32 |
5 |
.865 |
|
|
|
| 1998-99 |
Vincennes |
Assistant Coach |
23 |
8 |
.742 |
|
|
|
|
Vincennes |
Total |
132 |
39 |
.772 |
|
|
|
| 2000-01 |
Odessa Junior College |
Assistant Coach |
27 |
7 |
.794 |
|
|
|
| 2001-02 |
Odessa Junior College |
Assistant Coach |
21 |
8 |
.724 |
|
|
|
|
Odessa Junior College |
Total |
48 |
15 |
.762 |
|
|
|
| 2003-04 |
South Alabama |
Assistant Coach |
12 |
14 |
.462 |
6 |
8 |
.429 |
| 2004-05 |
South Alabama |
Assistant Coach |
10 |
14 |
.417 |
6 |
6 |
.500 |
| 2005-06 |
South Alabama |
Assistant Coach |
24 |
7 |
.774 |
12 |
3 |
.800 |
| 2006-07 |
South Alabama |
Assistant Coach |
20 |
12 |
.625 |
13 |
5 |
.722 |
|
South Alabama |
Total |
66 |
47 |
.584 |
37 |
22 |
.627 |
| 2007-08 |
Kansas State |
Assistant Coach |
21 |
12 |
.636 |
10 |
6 |
.625 |
| 2008-09 |
Kansas State |
Assistant Coach |
22 |
12 |
.647 |
9 |
7 |
.563 |
| 2009-10 |
Kansas State |
Assistant Coach |
29 |
8 |
.784 |
11 |
5 |
.688 |
| 2010-11 |
Kansas State |
Assistant Coach |
23 |
11 |
.676 |
10 |
6 |
.625 |
| 2011-12 |
Kansas State |
Assistant Coach |
22 |
11 |
.667 |
10 |
8 |
.556 |
|
Kansas State |
Total |
117 |
54 |
.684 |
50 |
32 |
.610 |
| 2012-13 |
South Carolina |
Assistant Coach |
14 |
18 |
.438 |
4 |
14 |
.222 |
| 2013-14 |
South Carolina |
Associate Head Coach |
14 |
20 |
.412 |
5 |
13 |
.278 |
| 2014-15 |
South Carolina |
Associate Head Coach |
17 |
16 |
.515 |
6 |
12 |
.333 |
| 2015-16 |
South Carolina |
Associate Head Coach |
25 |
9 |
.735 |
11 |
7 |
.611 |
| 2016-17 |
South Carolina |
Associate Head Coach |
26 |
11 |
.703 |
12 |
6 |
.667 |
|
South Carolina |
Total |
96 |
74 |
.565 |
38 |
52 |
.422 |
| 2017-18 |
Austin Peay |
Head Coach |
19 |
15 |
.559 |
12 |
6 |
.667 |
| 2018-19 |
Austin Peay |
Head Coach |
22 |
11 |
.667 |
13 |
5 |
.722 |
| 2019-20 |
Austin Peay |
Head Coach |
21 |
12 |
.636 |
14 |
4 |
.778 |
| 2020-21 |
Austin Peay |
Head Coach |
14 |
13 |
.519 |
10 |
10 |
.500 |
|
Austin Peay |
Total |
76 |
51 |
.598 |
49 |
25 |
.662 |
| 2021-22 |
UTRGV |
Head Coach |
8 |
23 |
.258 |
3 |
15 |
.167 |
| 2022-23 |
UTRGV |
Head Coach |
15 |
17 |
.469 |
6 |
12 |
.333 |
| 2023-24 |
UTRGV |
Head Coach |
6 |
25 |
.194 |
2 |
18 |
.100 |
|
UTRGV |
Total |
29 |
65 |
.309 |
11 |
45 |
.196 |
|
As a Head Coach |
Total |
105 |
116 |
.475 |
60 |
70 |
.462 |
|
Overall |
Total |
593 |
348 |
.630 |
185 |
176 |
.512 |
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT MATT FIGGER
South Carolina Head Coach Frank Martin
Matt Figger is a people builder and a program builder. UTRGV has hired the consummate worker and winner. He will immerse all his energies into the university and the community.
Illinois Head Coach Brad Underwood
What a great hire! Matt Figger is one of the outstanding basketball minds in our game. A progressive thinker and worker like no other on the recruiting trails, success has followed Matt everywhere. A great fit for a rising program. What a home run for UTRGV. Success is coming!
Texas A&M Head Coach Buzz Williams
Coach Figger is a star! He has had a distinct impact on each facet of every program he has been associated with, and that will hold true at UTRGV. His commitment to develop young men on and off the floor to be the best version of themselves requires an enormous amount of energy on a daily basis, and his energy level is unmatched.
Wake Forest Head Coach Steve Forbes
Matt Figger is not a good coach, he's a great coach! His teams are a reflection of him, tough and gritty. We started together in this business many years ago. I have watched him grow and evolve into not only a great coach, but also an outstanding recruiter and communicator. Fig is very personable, and I know the Rio Grande Valley is going to love getting to know him and his staff. Chasse Conque hit this hire out of the park!
