Head Coach: Gerry Matthews
Gerry Matthews stands on the verge of two more milestones as he enters the 26th year of his storied career as the Stockton men’s basketball coach. Matthews begins the season with 493 victories, just seven shy of the 500-win mark. In addition, Matthews is the second-winningest men’s college coach in New Jersey history and is making a run at Pete Carrill’s state record of 514 wins at Princeton.

Matthews has won two NJAC championships apiece in three different decades (1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s) and his Stockton teams have never had a losing season. Both facts clearly demonstrate his ability to get the best out of his players regardless of the times. Matthews ranks among the top 20 active Division III coaches in winning percentage (.680) and victories (493). The dean of the NJAC, he has led Stockton to 13 NCAA Tournament berths, two Final Four appearances, and 13 20-win seasons.

Matthews brought immediate success to Stockton upon his arrival in 1985. In just his second season, he led the Ospreys to their first NCAA Final Four ever and first of two straight NJAC championships. Stockton earned four consecutive NCAA berths from 1987-90 and later returned to the NCAA Tournament three straight times from 1992-94. Matthews took a year off before returning to steer the Ospreys to a school-record 26 wins in 1995-96 and consecutive NJAC titles and NCAA berths in 1996 and 1997.

The next decade produced three 20-win seasons plus one NCAA berth and also included personal milestones for Matthews. He collected his 300th win at Stockton, 69-46 over Marywood, on November 16, 2001 and 400th win with an 80-50 victory over Rutgers-Camden on January 31, 2007. In 2007-08, Matthews returned the Ospreys to national prominence by leading them to their first NJAC championship in 11 years. After Stockton ended a nine-year NCAA Tournament drought and reached the Sweet 16, Matthews was named NABC Atlantic District Coach of the Year.

Matthews led Stockton to its best season ever in 2008-09 when the Ospreys returned to the Final Four for the first time since 1987 and advanced to the NCAA championship game. Stockton also won its sixth NJAC title and set a school record with 30 victories while Matthews earned NJAC Coach of the Year honors for the eighth time. In 2009-10, the Ospreys notched their third straight trip to the NJAC championship game and third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth before finishing at 20-8.

Before coming to Stockton, Matthews coached on the high school level at Long Branch and Rumson-Fair Haven where he achieved a 228-98 record and won two state championships in 13 years on the bench.

Phone: (609) 626-6008
Email: matthewg@stockton.edu

Assistant Coaches:
Kevin Brooks
Kevin Brooks is entering his 17th season as an assistant coach for the Ospreys. Since Brooks joined the coaching staff, Stockton has won four NJAC championships and made six NCAA Tournament appearances. Brooks attended Stockton from 1982-86 and played one season of basketball. He went on to play professionally with the Albany Patroons of the CBA, the Pottsville Stingers of the ABA, and overseas in Goteborg, Sweden. Brooks also had a tryout with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Scott Bittner
Scott Bittner returns for his sixth year on the Stockton men’s basketball coaching staff. During his time on the coaching staff, the Ospreys have made three NCAA Tournament appearances and won two NJAC championships. Bittner also has previous coaching experience on the high school level from stints as an assistant boys basketball coach at Bishop Eustace and his alma mater, St. Augustine Prep. As a player, Bittner spent one year at Morris County College and then three seasons at Wheeling Jesuit University, where he was a Division II All-American in 1994 and a three-time all-conference selection..

Bob Hutchings
Bob Hutchings in in the sixth year of his second stint on the Stockton men’s basketball coaching staff. Hutchings was an assistant coach at Stockton for 10 of the 11 seasons between 1988 and 1999. During that time, the Ospreys made seven NCAA Tournament appearances. He rejoined the Stockton staff in 2006 after a seven-year absence. Since then, the Ospreys have won two NJAC championships and earned three NCAA Tournament berths. Hutchings also served two seasons as an assistant at Army under Mike Krzyzewski from 1975-77 and later became the head coach at Bridgeton High School. More recently, he was the head coach at Cumberland County College for five seasons from 1999-2004. Hutchings was inducted into the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1996 and Millville Thunderbolts Hall of Fame in 2010.