AU Head Coach Matt Corkery prepares for practice along the baseline while the women’s basketball team performs its own stretches circling the center of the court.
Corkery stands at the center, arms crossed, constantly clapping and shouting out new directions as a look of pure intensity fills his face.
Once the buzzer sounds to signal the end of a day’s work, Corkery becomes more laid back.
“We really try to stick with what we’ve been doing all year, and that’s focusing on each individual segment of practice, bringing energy, having a lot of enthusiasm and enjoying what we’re doing,” Corkery said. “Trying to keep our team fresh mentally and physically is really an important part of preparing your team this time of year. Finding that balance between preparation and downtime is really the key.”
In his four years at the helm, Corkery has posted an 85-37 career record and a 46-10 record in Patriot League competition. Both records are the best career percentages in Patriot League history.
Corkery has led the women to at least a share of three Patriot League regular season championships, two appearances in the Patriot League Championship game and a 14-0 mark in conference play this year.
“Coach Matt is very good at knowing what motivates each individual player, because it’s different for everyone,” senior guard Lisa Strack said. “Whether it’s getting on you about something, or if it’s talking to you and letting you know that you can do this if you put your mind to it, he’s been a great coach to everyone.”
Corkery attended West Texas A&M University, working as a student assistant coach for the women’s basketball team before becoming a full-time assistant coach.
As head coach at Howard College in Texas, Corkery was named the National Junior College Athletic Association
Region V Coach of the Year in 1998. He also served on the coaching staff at Stephen F. Austin University and Emporia State.
“I’ve had the opportunity to coach a lot of good teams and see how they worked, how they functioned and so I’m always drawing upon that experience,” Corkery said.
Corkery joined the Eagles in 2004 as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and then in 2007 was named associate head coach. He was awarded the top job in May 2008.
Corkery said it was a blessing to have worked with a lot of the players and coaches for four years as an assistant before taking the head coaching job.
“My vision for the program moving forward was closely connected with the strengths of our players and their talents,” Corkery said. “We were able to put those two things together, and I think it’s helped us get where we are right now. We really tried to evolve into a pressure-oriented defensive team . . . [that] was really aggressive, so we wanted that to be our identity.”
Corkery said this year’s squad is the “best defensive team” in his tenure at AU and that the players’ “mental toughness” separates them from the past two years.
The Patriot League Tournament begins March 1, with the Eagles entering as the No. 1 seed and heavy favorite to earn the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
The Eagles are ready to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history after falling in the Patriot League Championship the past two seasons.
“I think it’s something that we’re all ready to experience,” Corkery said. “If we’re fortunate enough to get the chance, we’re going to make it happen.”
