Page 53 - Toledo Football Media Guide - 2012

THE COACHES 53

sistant Coaches

TomMatukewicz

Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach

Tom Matukewicz joins the Rockets as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He brings 15 years of experience to the UT coach-ing staf, including 10 seasons as a coordinator. Matukewicz’s teams have participated in post-season play in each of the past nine seasons. Matukewicz spent the last four seasons at Northern Illinois, where he helped guide the Huskies to a MAC West title in 2010 and an outright MAC Championship this past season. Matukewicz was the linebackers’ coach in 2011 after serving as defensive run-game coordina-tor the previous three seasons under then-head coach Jerry Kill. Matukewicz served as interim head coach for the Huskies’ appearance in the 2010 Humanitarian Bowl after Kill accepted the Minnesota job at the end of the season. Matuke-

wicz led the Huskies to a dominating 40-17 victory over Fres-no State in the Humanitarian Bowl.

During his frst three seasons at Northern Illinois, Matuke-wicz was responsible for coordinating the Huskies’ run de-fense. In 2010, NIU ranked 24th nationally and third in the MAC in run defense, allowing 126.5 yards per game. Northern also boasted the No. 1 total defense in the MAC in 2008 and 2009.

In his frst year in DeKalb, “Coach Tuke” was part of the staf which turned the Huskies into the No. 1 scoring and total defense in the MAC, and one of the top 20 units in the coun-try. NIU boasted the second-most improved scoring defense in the nation in 2008 as they allowed 18.0 points per game, down from 30.8 the year before. NIU ranked 17th nationally in total defense and was ffth in the country in pass defense. Matukewicz spent seven seasons at Southern Illi-nois with Kill from 2001-07. He was honored as the 2007 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association after

TomMatukewicz

Age: 38 (born Aug. 5, 1973)

Hometown: Silver Lake, KS

Alma Mater: Fort Hays State ‘97

Coaching Experience:

2012 Toledo Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach 2011 Northern Illinois Linebackers Coach

2008-10 Northern Illinois Run-Game Coordinator/Interim Head Coach (2010) 2001-07 Southern Illinois Linebackers Coach/Run-Game Coordinator 2000-01 Emporia State Defensive Line 1999-2000 Cofeyville C.C. Ofensive Line/Tight Ends 1997-99 Pittsburgh State Ofensive Tackles/Tight Ends 1996-97 Fort Hays State Defensive Line/Special Teams

helping turn the Salukis into one of the stingiest rushing de-fenses in the country. SIU held its opponents to a rushing aver-age below 135 yards per game every year from 2002-07 as the Salukis had three of the top-10 rushing defenses in program history during that time. Matukewicz’s most prolifc lineback-ing corps played in 2004, forming the heart of a defense that gave up only 101.7 rushing yards per game, led the nation in scoring defense and allowed just 13.2 points per game. Before coaching at Southern Illinois, Matukewicz was the defensive line coach at Emporia State, where he also had responsibilities as the marketing and promotions director. He has also made stops at Butler County Community Col-lege, Cofeyville Community College and Pittsburgh State, where he earned his master’s degree in administration. A native of Silver Lake, KS, Matukewicz completed his undergraduate work at Fort Hays State, receiving his bach-elor’s degree in physical education in 1997. Matukewicz and his, wife Lenna, have two daughters, Georgia (4) and Shelby, who was born in May.