Doug Matthews - Men's Tennis Coach - Xavier University Athletics

Doug Matthews

Title:
Director of Tennis
Email:
matthewsd2@xavier.edu
Phone:
513.745.2840

Doug Matthews was named Xavier Director of Tennis in 2022, remaining head coach of the women's program. He took over as the men’s and women’s tennis head coach prior to the 2015 season. Prior to the 2015 season, Matthews stepped in as interim head coach for the spring season before being named head coach.

Matthews led the Musketeers to a fourth-straight BIG EAST Championship during the 2023-24 season, marking the program's fifth league title and fifth trip to the NCAA Championships, all coming under Matthews' leadership. Xavier traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the NCAA First Round, battling No. 30 Notre Dame to the final set in a 4-3 loss. The Musketeers earned the NCAA berth after taking a 4-2 win over the No. 2 seed DePaul in the BIG EAST Championship match, becoming the first program in the reconfigured conference to capture four consecutive tennis titles. Abby Nugent clinched the league championship match in a third set on singles court No. 3, her third match-clinching point of the tournament, to earn BIG EAST Most Outstanding Honors.

Following the season, senior Imani Graham was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year for a second straight season and was a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team. Graham also earned CSC Academic All-District honors, and was selected as a CSC Academic All-America Finalist. Redshirt senior Anna Roggenburk was also a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team. The duo of Graham and Roggenburk also teamed up to earn the program's first ITA doubles ranking, coming in as high as #74 nationally in the March 5, 2024 rankings.

Matthews and his staff were also honored as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year for the fourth time after the 2024 Musketeers wrapped up the season at 19-6, highlighted by an unblemished 5-0 mark in BIG EAST play, and were ranked as high as No. 68 in the ITA Team Rankings.

In 2023, Matthews led Xavier to a third-straight, and fourth overall BIG EAST Championship, earning the program's fourth berth to the NCAA Championship. Xavier faced Ohio State in Columbus in the program's fourth NCAA Tournament match. Following the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament, Anna Roggenburk was named Most Outstanding Player, earning the accolade for the second time in her Xavier career, also earning the honor in 2021. Playing at No. 2 doubles and No. 4 singles, Roggenburk was undefeated throughout the weekend, going 3-0 in singles play and 2-0 in doubles with Imani Graham.

Xavier finished the season at 14-8 overall with three Musketeers earned All-BIG EAST honors, including a pair of major awards. Imani Graham was selected as the BIG EAST Player of the Year, while Abby Nugent was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. Kat Lyman also earned All-BIG EAST.

In 2022, the Musketeer women won a second-straight BIG EAST Championship, capped off by a 4-0 win over DePaul in the conference title match, to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. The title, and NCAA berth, were both the program's third overall. Xavier earned the No. 3 seed in Columbus, facing No. 30 Vanderbilt in the program's third-ever NCAA match.

The Musketeer women wrapped up the season at 14-10 overall, brought home the program's third BIG EAST Championship and earned Xavier's third bid to the NCAA Championships. Following the tournament, Anna Smith was named the BIG EAST Most Outstanding Player for the Tournament after helping Xavier to the doubles point in all three matches, and winning in straight sets on No. 5 in each match of the tournament. Ahmeir Kyle earned a spot on the BIG EAST First Team, Imani Graham earned a spot on the BIG EAST Second Team following the conclusion of the regular season, and Doug Matthew and staff earned BIG EAST Staff of the Year for the second-straight season.

Xavier's men tennis also had a strong 2022 season, finishing 12-9 overall, with a perfect 8-0 record at home,the most wins since the 2015-16 season. The Musketeers advanced to the BIG EAST Semifinals for the first time since 2016 after earning the No. 3 seed, the program's highest seed in the BIG EAST Championship since joining the conference in 2013-14. Graduate student Diego Nava went 13-3 in singles in dual play in 2022, playing in the No. 1 spot to earn a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team. Nava won his first nine decisions of 2022, including a win over top-15 ranked Cannon Kingsley of Ohio State, was ranked as high as No. 52 in the ITA singles rankings during the season, and became the first Musketeer to earn a spot in the NCAA Singles Championships. Freshman Ryan Cahill earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors for his rookie season, going 12-7 overall with a 4-3 record in No. 2 single and an 8-4 record on No. 3. Cahill collected a 6-1 record against BIG EAST opponents, and closed out the season with four straight wins. The duo combined to go 12-7 in doubles, playing on the No. 1 court, helping Xavier clinch the doubles point in 10 matches. The pair closed out the season with five straight wins, all against BIG EAST opponents, and ended the season with a 6-1 record against conference foes.

Matthews led the women's program to its second BIG EAST Championship and NCAA berth in 2021. The Musketeers finished at 17-4 overall putting together and eight-match win streak leading up to the NCAA Tournament. Ahmeir Kyle and Anna Roggenburk were unanimous selections to the All-BIG EAST First Team, with Roggenburk earning the nod as Freshman of the Year. Xavier's coaching staff also picked up conference honors, being tabbed as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year by the other league coaches. In 2021, Kyle became the first Musketeer earn a spot in the 64-player NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships, as selected by the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Subcommittee.

In 2019, Xavier's women finished with a school-record 22 wins, going 22-3 overall after taking a record 20-match win streak into the BIG EAST Championship match, where the Musketeers finished as runners-up.

In 2016, Matthews took the women's program to its first ever NCAA Tournament after winning the BIG EAST Championship, finishing the season at 20-6 overall with a 6-1 record in BIG EAST play. Sydney Liggins earned the program's first BIG EAST Player of the Year honor while Matthews and his staff were named the Coaching Staff of the Year for the women's side.

Matthews, a Xavier tennis standout from the 2005-09 who was inducted into the Xavier Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021, served as an assistant coach for four years for the Xavier tennis program and spent the 2009-10 season working as a volunteer assistant.

Matthews was a member of the Xavier men's tennis team from 2005-09, leading Xavier to back-to-back Atlantic 10 Conference championships in his junior and senior years and the first-ever men's tennis team appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and 2009. While at XU he compiled a 75-47 career singles record, which ranks fourth all-time at Xavier. In doubles, he ranks third all-time with a 75-52 career record and he is second all-time at Xavier in total wins with a 150-99 career record.

The long list of accomplishments Matthews earned as a student-athlete while at Xavier include being named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference team four consecutive years, earning an Atlantic 10's Rookie of the Year award in 2006, and being named the Atlantic 10's Most Outstanding Performer in 2008 and 2009. Additionally, Matthews earned Xavier's Rev. Paul O'Connor Award, given annually to the university's male student-athlete that represents the ideal of the school based on academic and athletic excellence.

Matthews, a Maineville, Ohio native, was a two-sport star at Kings High School. He is a member of the Kings High School Hall of Fame for his tennis and basketball achievements. Matthews and his wife Kara, also a former Xavier tennis standout, have three daughters, Kinsley, Brynn and Myla.