Mary Baldwin University announced Matt Griggs as its first head men’s basketball coach in program history on Wednesday morning.
“I am happy to announce Matt Griggs as MBU’s first-ever head men’s basketball coach,” said MBU Director of Athletics Tom Byrnes. “His knowledge of the region added with his experience in coaching and playing at this level made him an outstanding selection. I look forward to working with him as he launches the program.”
Griggs comes from Roanoke College, where he arrived in 2016 as the assistant men’s basketball coach before eventually rising to the position of associate head coach. The Maroons have since enjoyed three consecutive winning seasons, a first for the program in a decade.
Griggs served as the recruiting coordinator for the Roanoke College program, directing individual instruction and player development strategies. His duties also involved assisting with scouting, game and practice planning, game scheduling, and coordinating team travel. Griggs worked with alumni relations, fundraising, and directed the team’s summer camps as well.
“I am honored and extremely excited to be named the first head men’s basketball coach at Mary Baldwin University,” said Griggs. “I would like to thank Tom Byrnes, the search committee, and the leadership at MBU for entrusting me with this opportunity. I am looking forward to working with the faculty, staff, and students in building a program that MBU and the Staunton community will be proud of.”
Roanoke finished last season with a 19–8 record and advanced to the semifinals of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament. The year prior, Roanoke ended the season with a 20–8 record and reached the ODAC tournament final for the first time since 2001. The 20-win total was the first for the program in nearly two decades.
Under Griggs’ leadership, five Maroons earned all-ODAC selections, including a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American and ODAC Player of the Year in 2018.
Griggs spent two seasons as the men’s basketball video coordinator at NCAA Division I Winthrop University. While in the position, he managed all video and technology-related duties and analyzed opponent tendencies to prepare scouting reports. Griggs also assisted the coaching staff with other miscellaneous coaching responsibilities while overseeing team managerial staff and basketball camps.
While with the Eagles, the program claimed the 2016 Big South Conference regular season championship and advanced to the finals of the league tournament.
Prior to his two seasons as the video coordinator, Griggs was a graduate assistant coach for the 2013–14 season with Winthrop. He assisted in the day-to-day operations for the team including practice preparation and implementation, video breakdown, and individual player development. Griggs monitored player academic performance and coordinated team study halls. On the court, the team earned its first 20-win season in nearly a decade and advanced to the conference tournament finals.
Griggs played four seasons at Division III Centre College in Kentucky, seeing action in 108 consecutive games. He served as a team captain and helped his squad to claim three conference championships. Griggs played in three national tournaments and was named to the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) all-sportsmanship team after his senior season. Academically, he twice earned Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) academic honor roll laurels.
The MBU men’s basketball team takes the court as a club team in 2020–21 before rising to the varsity level in 2021–22, becoming the 14th men’s basketball program in the USA South Athletic Conference, and the 15th athletic program at Mary Baldwin.
https://www.marybaldwinathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2019-20/releases/20191211fqxxp8
