Bill Mathews

From BR Bullpen

Eckerd College Head Baseball Coach Bill Mathews began his Eckerd career in 1975 as a player. One of his teammates was Toronto Blue Jays third base coach Brian Butterfield, and San Francisco Giants General Manager Brian Sabean and former Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca were assistant coaches. Mathews was made an assistant coach as a junior and served in that capacity until 1981.

His next move found him at Canterbury School of Florida in St. Petersburg, where he taught classes and coached baseball and basketball. He served as athletic director for seven years, director of guidance for five years, and principal for three years. He returned to Eckerd in 1990 as head baseball coach, and his list of accomplishments since his return are staggering.

Mathews was named Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year in 1999, the same year he completed a six-year stint as a member of the NCAA Baseball Committee. In each of his 14 years as head coach, Eckerd has placed more baseball players on the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll than any other institution. Nine of Mathews' players have signed professional contracts. "The thing that I enjoy most about Eckerd College," Mathews said, "is that we are committed to the true definition of the term 'student-athlete'."

In addition, Mathews has served as the head coach of the Polish National Team since 1997, earning four medals in European Championship play, two of which are gold. Mathews is also the coaching coordinator for Tampa Bay Devil Rays camps. He teaches several courses at Eckerd in the areas of athletic administration and social ethics.