Matt Winters recently ended his fifth year as the lead assistant coach at Otterbein in 2023-24, most recently earning a promotion to Associate Head Coach. His efforts have directly impacted a turnaround in the program, which has delivered a pair of 17-win campaigns in the last three years.
Winters, alongside his brother, helped guide Otterbein to its first top-three finish in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular-season standings in 19 years last winter. The group beat a pair of nationally-ranked teams along the way - No. 23 Illinois College to win the Smokey Ballenger Classic and then a notable upset of No. 1-ranked John Carroll in the final week. Three Cardinals were named all-conference and another four landed Academic All-OAC for their work in the classroom.
Otterbein went more than a decade without having a first team All-OAC representative but has since landed a spot in consecutive years behind standouts Cam Evans (2022-23) and Jack Clement (2023-24). In addition, the program has enjoyed two OAC Freshman of the Year selections by way of Dallas Patrick and Julian Heckman under their tutelage.
During the resurgent 2021-22 stretch, six of Otterbein's losses were to teams ranked in the national poll and the Cards also went an impressive 9-3 in games decided by two possessions or less.
Winters previously spent three seasons at Ohio Northern and, prior to that, worked the 2015-16 campaign at Rhodes (Tenn.) where he helped guide three all-conference players. He also served as an assistant coach at Denison from 2012-15. The Big Red advanced to the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament three times during his time in Granville, and five of his players earned All-NCAC honors.
The local product also holds high school coaching experience with three seasons at nearby Bishop Hartley High School, serving as the freshman head coach and varsity assistant. During the 2010-2011 run, his team advanced to the Division II State Tournament after claiming Division II district and regional titles.
A 2009 graduate of Ohio Dominican, Winters earned a degree in Integrated Social Studies Education while competing on the hardwood. His Panthers advanced to the AMC Tournament semifinals in the 2007-08 season, when he was also the recipient of the program’s “Commitment to Leadership” Award.
Winters obtained his Masters of Educational Leadership from Dayton in 2015. He and his wife, Emilyjo, currently reside in Westerville.
