Matt Sherman, a two-time NAIA All-America guard at Central Methodist, is returning to his alma mater to be an assistant coach for the 2015-16 men’s basketball season, Eagles head coach Jeff Sherman announced.
Matt Sherman will assume his new role starting on July 6, coaching under his father for the first time after playing for him for four seasons from 2006 to 2010 at Central Methodist.
“These are exciting times for the CMU basketball program,” Jeff Sherman said. “Anytime you can hire one of the all-time best players in CMU history and one with the coaching background Matt has developed, it is another great day for the Eagles.”
Matt Sherman began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., an NCAA Division I school. He spent two seasons with the Demons and completed his master’s degree in Health and Human Performance with an emphasis in Sports Administration.
Following his two-year stint at Northwestern State, Sherman returned to the Heart of America Athletic Conference and was hired as an assistant coach at Graceland (Iowa) University for the 2012-13 season. In his one season at Graceland, the Yellowjackets finished with a 7-22 record, but for one game, Sherman served as acting head coach. That game happened to be against Central Methodist on Feb. 7, 2013 in Fayette. Sherman led the Yellowjackets that evening to a 46-42 victory over his alma mater.
Sherman moved on to William Jewell (Mo.) College for the 2013-14 season, an NCAA Division II program and a former member of the Heart in the NAIA during his playing days. He worked as an assistant coach at William Jewell under legendary head coach Larry Holley, a Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductee and the all-time winningest coach among all Missouri four-year college basketball programs. Sherman spent the past two seasons with the Cardinals before accepting the assistant head coaching position at Central Methodist.
“His coaching experience has helped him develop his philosophy, which has grown since his playing days,” Jeff Sherman said. “The accomplishments on his coaching resume are more than any coach I have hired over my 30 years of coaching. There is no doubt Matt will be considered for head coaching positions within the next couple of years.”
Matt Sherman will take over for former Central Methodist associate head coach Charlie Wilson, who accepted a head coaching position at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Fla., last month.
“I am so thrilled and proud for Charlie,” Jeff Sherman said. “He has been with me as a student assistant, graduate assistant, assistant coach and, the last few years, as associate head coach. Charlie is one of the hardest workers I have ever known and has tremendous knowledge of the game of basketball. There is no question he will go on and do great things over his career and be another great ambassador for CMU.”
A Fayette, Mo., native, Sherman shined on the basketball court at Fayette High School, receiving All-State honors his senior year from the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. He helped guide the Falcons to a quarterfinal appearance in the Class 3 state playoffs during the 2005-06 season and finished his career at Fayette with 1,545 points. Sherman made the All-Conference team four times, the All-District team three times and was a two-time KRES All-Star.
Sherman continued his career for the next four seasons at Central Methodist, and just as he did in high school, Sherman was a four-time All-Conference recipient with the Eagles. He received honorable mention honors as a freshman, made the second team as a sophomore and a junior and received All-Conference first-team honors in his senior season.
After helping the Eagles to a 17-14 record in 2006-07 during his freshman season, Sherman guided Central Methodist to three-consecutive 20-win seasons. The Eagles posted a 28-7 record in his junior season and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. There, Central Methodist upset No. 4 Georgetown (Ky.) in the opening round of the tournament, arguably one of the greatest victories in Eagles history.
During his senior season in 2009-10, Sherman led Central Methodist with 15.9 points per game and made 131 3-point shots, a school single-season record that still stands. His career mark of 433 made 3-pointers also still stands as a school record. The Eagles posted a 24-9 record during the 2009-10 season and won the Heart’s regular-season championship, advancing to their second-straight NAIA National Tournament. Central Methodist lost to Texas Wesleyan University in the first round of the national tournament in Sherman’s final game of his Central Methodist career, finishing with an 89-42 record in four seasons playing for the Eagles.
Sherman received NAIA All-America honorable mention honors in both his junior and senior seasons at Central Methodist. He finished his college career with 1,817 points, ranking sixth on the Eagles’ all-time scoring list. He graduated from Central Methodist in May 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education.
