It was announced on Wednesday per Jeff Goodman that Matt McCall of Chattanooga will become Massachusetts’ next head coach. The 35 year old coach has been with the Mocs for 2 seasons and led them to a 19-12 finish this past season with a 10-8 record in Southern Conference play. McCall became the head coach of Chattanooga when Will Wade left for VCU in 2015. Compared to the 2015-16 season, this past year was a slight let down for McCall and the Mocs. His first season as head coach featured upset wins over Georgia, Illinois, and Dayton, a regular season conference championship, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament where his team lost to Indiana.
Despite a disappointing finish to the regular season this year, Matt McCall’s team has asserted itself as a powerful mid-major by downing respected programs. A win over Tennessee this past season helped strengthen that sentiment. The Mocs have been competitive in their last two seasons under Matt McCall, and I’d expect him to bring that competitive nature to Massachusetts. This is Massachusetts’ second official attempt at hiring a head coach this offseason. Winthrop’s Pat Kelsey backed out of his agreement to be the next head coach last week, as he suddenly had a change of heart just minutes before the press conference.
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