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MONTGOMERY ANNOUNCES FIRST TWO COACHING STAFF HIRES
12/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 22, 2014
Tulsa, Oklahoma - University of Tulsa Head Football Coach Philip Montgomery announced today the appointment of a pair of offensive assistant coaches, Sterlin Gilbert and Matt Mattox, to the Golden Hurricane coaching staff.
Gilbert will serve as Tulsa's co-offensive coordinator, while coaching the receivers and quarterbacks. Mattox will also serve as co-offensive coordinator and coach the offensive line.
Gilbert and Mattox were each in their first season on Dino Babers' staff at Bowling Green State University this past year, serving as co-offensive coordinators. Gilbert also coached the receivers at BGSU, while Mattox coached the offensive line. The Falcons gained 432.9 yards to rank 42nd nationally for total yards this year, while gaining 173 yards on the ground and 259 yards passing. This past weekend, BGSU defeated South Alabama 33-28 to capture the Camellia Bowl Championship in Montgomery, Alabama.
"Both Sterlin and Matt have experience within our offense. They speak the same language that I speak. We see the same things on tape and know exactly how we want to plug in the offense," said Montgomery. "Both of these guys bring a vast amount of knowledge, both are very passionate and hard-working guys that will do right by our student-athletes and push them in the direction we want them to go. They've been very successful on the collegiate level. I'm excited to have both of Sterlin and Matt join our staff at The University of Tulsa."
Before his one-year stint at Bowling Green, Gilbert was the offensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois for two seasons, where he was named FootballScoop's FCS Coordinator of the Year in 2013. The Panthers led the nation in yards per game (589.5) and points per game (48.2) in 2013. In addition, EIU averaged 372.4 yards per game through the air and 217.1 yards on the ground.
Under the guidance of Gilbert, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was named the Walter Payton Award winner, the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy -- given to the nation's best player. Garoppolo threw for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns in 2013. During his two seasons under Gilbert's guidance, he threw for 8,873 yards and 84 scores.
In Gilbert's first season as the offensive coordinator he helped direct the Panthers up-tempo offense, which ranked sixth in the nation in passing offense, eighth in total offense and 12th in scoring offense. EIU averaged 470.9 yards per game, while scoring 36.5 points per contest. In 2012, Eastern Illinois' offense set several school records including touchdown passes with 34.
Gilbert came to EIU following a successful career as a prep coach in Texas. He served as the offensive coordinator & quarterback coach at Temple High School where the team advanced to the Texas Class 5-AAAAA playoffs.
Prior to joining the staff at Temple High School, Gilbert served as the head coach at San Angelo Lake View High School for three seasons (2008-10). Gilbert rebuilt a program that had won only three games in three years prior to his arrival to a team that won the 2008 Bi-District Championship and the school's first playoff win in 12 years. He was named the West Texas High School Coach of the Year in 2008.
Gilbert developed a name for himself as a prolific offensive coach at Cooper High School in Abilene during the 2006 and 2007 seasons when he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. His 2006 offense led 5A with 3,172 yards passing. In 2007 the team advanced to the Texas Class 3-AAAAA playoffs.
Gilbert's first collegiate coaching experience was as a graduate assistant at Houston in 2005 when the Cougars earned a trip to the Fort Worth Bowl. Gilbert assisted with coaching the quarterbacks and running backs. His first job was as the quarterbacks and running backs coach at Springtown High School from 2003-05.
A Texas native, Gilbert was a two-time All-Lone Star Conference quarterback at Angelo State in 2000 and 2001, while serving as team captain both those seasons. Gilbert earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology with a minor in History from Angelo State in 2002.
"Sterlin was part of the development of quarterback Kevin Kolb at Houston and has been a very successful coach in the state of Texas, so his strong ties to those high school coaches will help us in recruiting," said Montgomery. "He has implemented this offense on three different occasions now and will bring some vast knowledge to the table as we start putting in our offense. He's a young coach that will bring a lot of energy and passion, and a lot of knowledge to the game."
"I'm extremely excited to get to work again with Coach Montgomery. I've known him for quite some time, and the football family that we all come from is important to me. I'm thrilled about coming to The University of Tulsa and being a part of this program," said Gilbert. "Being from Texas and getting the chance to get back south is exciting. I'm ready to get there and get to work."
Before his move to Bowling Green, Mattox coached the offensive line at Eastern Illinois University for one season, helping that offense amass over 8,000 yards in 2013, including 5,000-plus passing yards and more than 3,000 rushing yards.
Mattox spent six years as an offensive line/tight ends coach in the junior college ranks. He served as the offensive coordinator during the 2012 season at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. In his one season at CCC, Mattox coached five offensive players that earned All-Conference honors. His offensive unit averaged 370 yards per game and 28.8 points per game contest finishing the year at 6-4.
Prior to his one season at Coffeyville, Mattox was the offensive line/tight ends coach at Butler Community College in Kansas. During five seasons with the school he helped coach the program to four conference and NJCAA Region VI Championships. In 2007 and 2008 he was part of a staff that coached Butler to the NJCAA National Championship while losing in the NJCAA National Championship game in 2010. He coached 31 all-conference offensive linemen and six junior college All-Americans.
"Matt played the position and has been involved in this offense from the start. He's very sound technique-wise in the way he approaches the game, and with his ties to the state of Texas and Kansas will do a great job recruiting," said Montgomery.
"I'm definitely excited for the opportunity to join Coach Montgomery's staff at Tulsa. He's done such great things, not only at Houston, but again at Baylor," said Mattox. "I've known coach Montgomery since 2003 when he first arrived at Houston with Coach Briles. Having the opportunity to know him when I was a player, then to be a student coach and a graduate assistant coach with him was a great experience as I began my coaching career."
Mattox began his coaching career at the University of Houston under Art Briles, first working with the football program as an assistant strength coach in 2005 and then as a graduate assistant, coaching offensive tackles in 2006. Houston posted a 10-4 record in 2006 winning the Conference USA Championship game to make an appearance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
A native of Holton, Kan., Mattox was a second-team junior college All-American playing tight end at Butler Community College. He played his final two seasons at Houston for Art Briles, moving from tight end to offensive tackle prior to his senior season. As a senior, Mattox earned second-team All-Conference USA honors at offensive tackle as the Cougars went 7-6 and played in the Hawai'i Bowl.
Mattox earned his bachelor's degree in sports administration with a minor in health from Houston in 2005. He and his wife, Stacey, have two children, Kirby and Macey.
