Thanks to a great source who got us out in front of this last week. It has now been made official, Amherst assistant Matt Goldsmith has been named head coach at The College of New Jersey.
Dr. Sharon Beverly, assistant vice president for student affairs and executive director of athletics and recreation, officially announced the hiring of Goldsmith on Tuesday. He arrives from Amherst College, where he was an assistant coach for three seasons and a member of the Jeffs national championship team in 2007. Goldsmith returns to his home state of New Jersey, where he was a resident of Morristown and graduate of Delbarton High School.
“We are excited to welcome Matt Goldsmith as our new head men’s basketball coach,” said Beverly. “Goldsmith’s proven commitment to academics and his vision for our program directly align with the goals of TCNJ and our athletics program”.
Goldsmith enjoyed tremendous success with the Amherst program as an assistant coach and also during his playing career. In his first season on the coaching staff in 2012-13, Goldsmith helped guide Amherst to a 30-2 record and the second national title in program history. The following season, the Jeffs made their fifth appearance in the Final Four and boasted a season mark of 27-4. This past winter, Amherst went 21-8 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA championship tournament.
“I am extremely excited and honored to be a part of such a great athletics program”, said Goldsmith, who recently obtained his Masters of Science in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts, Isenburg School of Management. “I’m a New Jersey guy, so coming back to my home state is ideal for me. TCNJ combines great athletics with a fantastic academic profile, which is perfect for the guys I want to recruit and coach.”
In addition to his success with the Jeffs, Goldsmith spent time as a volunteer assistant coach for USA Basketball over the past two summers. In June 2013, he assisted the Men’s 2013 FIBA World Champion USA Under-19 National Team. This past summer he helped with individual workouts during practice, while volunteering with the 2014 Men’s National Team that captured the gold medal. During those coaching experiences, Goldsmith was able to glean valuable experience and wisdom from elite coaching minds such as Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Billy Donovan, Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams.
A 6′ 6″ forward with the Jeffs, Goldsmith continued his playing career after graduation. He played professionally in Germany for TV Werne 03 during the 2008-09 season, before returning to his native New Jersey to serve as an assistant to alumni & development at the Delbarton School. A political science major, he also served as assistant men’s varsity basketball coach at Delbarton before returning to Amherst.
http://www.tcnjathletics.com/news/2015/4/28/MBB_0428154933.aspx
Photo Courtesy Amherst College
