From Kurt Mattix’s early days growing up with a coach as a father to his time as a staff intern at Michigan under Brady Hoke, the 1994 Portage graduate has been a lifelong sponge, soaking up information about the sport of football.
After coaching stops at Portage, Trine, Anderson, Ball State, Wayne State, St. Joseph’s, Ball State again and Michigan, Mattix has returned to his alma mater of Valparaiso University as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. There he will try to use his experience to contribute to the program’s rebuilding effort.
Mattix’s father Bob spent five seasons as the head coach at Portage before serving as the Valparaiso University defensive line coach from 1994-2000.
“I’ve worked with a lot of different coaches and had a chance to see a lot of different ways successful programs have become successful,” Kurt Mattix said. “There are a lot of different coaches out there that I’ve been able to beg, borrow and steal from to get ideas and learn how to do it the right way.”
When Mattix learned of the Valparaiso opening, he worried that timing and geography may hurt his chances of being hired. He was in Florida visiting a former boss when current Tennessee assistant coach Mark Elder’s name popped up on his cell phone.
Elder, a former Wayne State and Lehigh assistant coach, provided the link between Valparaiso coach Dave Cecchini and Mattix by passing on news of the opening.
“I was between a rock and a hard place because I wasn’t in the Midwest,” Mattix said. “(Elder) was able to connect us for a phone call two weeks ago, and it continued on from there. I was excited for the opportunity to get an interview, and I jumped on that opportunity.”
Mattix replaces Justin Stovall, who left the Crusaders after one season to fill the same role at Columbia.
“He’s got an outstanding future ahead of him as a coach in the collegiate ranks,” Cecchini said. “We’re sad to see him go, but we know that it is ultimately a business, and he’s doing what’s best for him and his family.”
Valparaiso has also hired Sami Caygoz as tight ends coach. Caygoz spent the previous two seasons at King’s College in Pennsylvania. He played at Franklin and Marshall, where Valparaiso defensive coordinator Ernest Moore and offensive coordinator Jason Miran began their coaching careers.
“It did help that there were some familiar faces that knew me,” Caygoz said. “I feel more comfortable after my first week here than I did after my first week at King’s.”
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Caygoz replaces Steve Donovan, who accepted a position as the defensive coordinator at Division III Wisconsin Lutheran. Donovan spent four years on the coaching staff, bridging the gap from the previous regime to the first year under Cecchini in 2014.
“He was able to do a good job communicating to us exactly how things were done and he knew a lot about the university,” Cecchini said. “His experience was really valuable in terms of making the transition easier for us.”
Brandon Vickrey is a freelance writer.