Coaching basketball has been in Matt Wise’s blood since birth. Raised by two coaches, Wise began his journey young.
“I had a preschool teacher when I was 3 call my parents and say that ‘Matt’s putting the other kids through drills at recess, and he needs to stop’,” said Wise.
The head coach of Samford’s women’s basketball team has been coaching for over a decade. After 10 years assistant coaching men’s at Wyoming and Eastern Tennessee State, Wise took a job as the director of video and creative content at Alabama on the women’s side of the sport, launching his career in women’s sports.
“I love how relationship driven women’s basketball is,” said Wise. “I love how ‘other’ oriented it is. I love how selfless it is. And it’s every bit as competitive and talented and skilled as the men’s side. It’s such a joy.”
Senior guard Alyssa Tarpley appreciates Wise’s emphasis on relationships within the team.
“College sports, as rewarding as they are, can also be extremely challenging, so being in a program that emphasizes relationships, especially outside of basketball, is amazing,” said Tarpley.
Wise previously worked as an assistant coach for Samford’s women’s basketball and was promoted to head coach when Coach Carley Kuhns pursued a career as assistant coach for the University of Maryland women’s basketball team.
“As an assistant, it’s mostly just your work. You’re doing your role, and you’re doing your task,” said Wise. “Well, as a head coach, you have to do those things, but you also have everybody coming to you with, whether it be approval or collaboration or just communication.”
Despite this new workload, Wise is able to work and coach well, thanks to the experience of his coaching parents.
“One of my favorite lessons about being a head coach was actually from my mom who did it for a very long time successfully: you cannot give equal time to everybody, but you can give equal quality of time to everybody,” said Wise. “And so, the idea of be where your feet are, be all the way in and present with whatever time you do have, I think is probably one of my favorite lessons.”
Tarpley, who has now played under both Kuhns and Wise, is excited for the direction that Wise takes the team.
“There is something comforting about the familiarity of keeping some of the coaching staff and players, but then also excitement in the new additions and things to come,” said Tarpley. “From the time we started workouts in June, Coach Matt has had a plan and a vision for this team and for this season, and I can’t wait to see it come to fruition in March.”
As for March, Coach Wise has planned ahead for the NCAA tournament. This season, Samford’s women’s basketball is slated to play SEC teams like the University of Alabama and Mississippi State, teams that will spur “growth and development” in the team, said Wise.
“We aspire to be one of those teams that makes the NCAA tournament, and if you make the NCAA tournament, you’re going to play teams like this. So, you might as well get familiar and comfortable with what it’s like,” said Wise.
Samford’s women’s basketball faces off against the University of Alabama tonight at 6
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