Newsroom

Q&A With New Men’s Head
Basketball Coach Matt Doherty

Matt Doherty has become the 16th head coach of the SMU men’s basketball team, incoming Athletic Director Steve Orsini announced April 24. Doherty has 16 years of coaching experience that includes eight NCAA Tournament berths, seven conference titles, a Final Four appearance and the 2001 Associated Press National Coach of the Year award.

“Matt is a perfect fit in every area we examined in our selection process,” Orsini said. “He’ll be a great teacher and a great role model on and off the court.”

Doherty answered questions at a press conference with Orsini and SMU President R. Gerald Turner:

Have you met the SMU team yet?

I just met with them in the locker room and talked about the high expectations I have for them on the court and in the community. I loved their eye contact, the way they shook my hand and the way they represent the University and the program. We’re going to play hard, play smart and play together.

What do you hope to accomplish as head basketball coach?

I want to build a program. There’s a difference between a team and a program – a team is a one-year deal, a program is built for the long run. I want to put systems in place for a program that you all will be excited about. I’m looking forward to getting started with these fine young men right here, and we’re doing that this week. I want to thank Steve Orsini and Dr. Turner for bringing me here and sharing their vision. It’s very exciting. It’s a commitment. Why can’t we be Top 25? Why can’t we be one of the elite programs in the country? Why not?

Considering the academic commitment SMU requires of its student-athletes, how do you intend to go about recruiting? Will you start at a national level?

My recruiting philosophy has always been to start in your backyard and build out. The beautiful thing about it is that we can go national when we want. Everyone knows SMU. You walk into a gym in California or New York wearing an SMU shirt, and people know it on sight. But we’re going to start right here, on our home turf, and this may be the most fertile ground I’ve ever been on. I went to the state tournament in Austin, and that may have been the best high school basketball I’ve ever seen. Texas is a basketball state, whether people know it or not.

Was it hard to leave Florida Atlantic after one year as head coach?

It’s never easy. I never coached a day at FAU with one eye on my job and one eye on another job. But this opportunity was too good to miss. I didn’t want to take this job just to take another job. I look at this as a destination point.

What other factors affected your decision?

Dr. Turner spent a lot of time with me on my visits to SMU, and to me that shows a commitment. I also like the fact that he played basketball in college. It’s a little thing, but it’s a bonus. It’s also a bonus when your A.D. played at a high level.

What does your family think about moving to Dallas?

My wife has never been to Dallas, but I’ve never heard her more excited about living in a community. It’s not just about basketball, but about the total package. Everyone who talks about this community loves it, and I’m excited about raising my family here. This may be the prettiest campus I’ve ever been on, and I’ve been at Notre Dame and North Carolina.

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