Texas Tech women’s basketball announced Tuesday the hiring of former American University head coach Matt Corkery as the associate head coach on the Lady Raiders staff.
Corkery, a native of Whitharral, Texas, comes to Lubbock to join head coach Candi Whitaker after five successful seasons in Washington, D.C.
“I feel fortunate to bring Matt Corkery to the Lady Raider program,” Whitaker said. “His head coaching experience is invaluable and he has been successful at every stop in his career. Matt is a tremendous recruiter and will be an asset in all facets of the program. His West Texas ties & knowledge of the program’s tradition make him the perfect fit.”
Corkery’s main responsibilities will include recruiting, defense, guard play, scheduling and scouting.
In his five seasons at American, his squads have earned three Patriot League regular season championships, three WNIT berths, two appearances in the Patriot League Championship Game, and he was honored as the Patriot League Coach of the Year in both 2010 and 2012. Corkery has coached one Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, one two-time Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, two Patriot League Players of the Year, four Patriot League All-Rookie Team honorees, eight All-Patriot League selections, and 23 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll picks.
Corkery has already etched his place in the Patriot League record books with his .656 career winning percentage (101-53), which is second best all-time in conference history. Additionally, Corkery’s .771 career Patriot League winning percentage (54-16) is also the best in league history. During the conclusion of the 2012-13 season, he also became the second-fastest coach in conference history and fastest in program history to reach 100 career wins.
Corkery led the Eagles to a historic 2011-12 season where they recorded the first-ever 14-0 Patriot League regular season in conference history. American’s 23-8 overall record matched a program record for most wins in a single season and its 15-game winning streak during the campaign set a new program standard. AU also reached its fourth WNIT in the last five seasons and Corkery earned his second Patriot League Coach of the Year honor in the previous three seasons. Additionally, American won four of the five Patriot League major awards with Corkery’s Coach of the Year, Lisa Strack earning Patriot League Player of the Year honors, Ebony Edwards as the Defensive Player of the Year, and Alexis Dobbs as the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In addition to on-the-court success, Corkery has helped bring increased interest to the program. The Eagles have set new attendance record in Bender Arena twice during his tenure, the first time occurring on February 7, 2009, when 1,177 fans saw the Eagles defeat Lehigh, 65-56. A year later on February 13, 2010, 1,291 spectators came out to Bender to watch American roll 82-47 past Colgate.
Corkery was named to his current position on May 19, 2008 after serving as AU’s associate head coach during the 2007-08 campaign, which saw the Eagles earn the program’s first-ever Patriot League regular season championship and berth in the WNIT. In 2007, he was elevated from assistant coach/recruiting coordinator to associate head coach. With the promotion, Corkery assumed additional responsibilities both on and off the court.
Corkery joined the Eagles in 2004 after spending three seasons as the associate head coach at Division II Emporia State (Kan.). During his tenure with the Hornets, Corkery helped guide the squad to a 63-25 record and No. 2 rankings nationally in both the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons.
Corkery served as an assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin University from 1999-2001. During his tenure, the Ladyjacks won consecutive Southland Conference titles and made successive appearances in the NCAA Tournament. In 2000, the Ladyjacks advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division I Tournament as a 12-seed. Corkery’s squad recorded a 54-11 record during his tenure at Stephen F. Austin.
From 1996 to 1999, as head coach at Howard College (Texas), he led the Lady Hawks to three top 10 rankings in the National Junior College Athletic Association polls and an overall record of 90-12. In 1998, Corkery was named the NJCAA Region V Coach of the Year, as his squad compiled a 34-3 record and finished in third-place in the NJCAA National Tournament.
Corkery earned a Bachelor’s degree in education in 1993 and a Master’s of sports and exercise sciences in 1996 from West Texas A&M University. While with the Lady Buffs, Corkery worked his way up from student assistant coach to graduate assistant and eventually earned a full-time assistant coaching position. As an assistant, Corkery mentored a Buffs squad that went 28-3, won the Lone Star Conference title and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the NCAA Division II national rankings in the 1995-96 campaign. The team’s record during Corkery’s tenure as an assistant at West Texas A&M was 120-32.
