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Entering his fifth year with the KU football program and third as a full-time assistant coach is Louie Matsakis, who coaches the Jayhawk running backs and oversees the special teams units. Matsakis rejoined the KU football staff for the 2007 season as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator after a one-year stint as special teams coordinator at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. The Shadyside, Ohio, native also worked at KU during the 2004 and 2005 seasons as the quality control coordinator. In 2008 Matsakis oversaw a rushing by committee of three players before Jake Sharp emerged as the featured back after the non-conference season. In the final nine games against Big 12 opponents and the bowl game, Sharp averaged 86 yards per contest. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors after finishing the year with 860 yards and 12 touchdowns. Sharp became the first running back in KU history to record 100 receiving yards in a game when he had 107 yards on three receptions at Iowa State. In 2007, running back Brandon McAnderson rushed for more than 1,000 yards, while backup Sharp added 821, as the Jayhawks produced a potent one-two punch. The KU offense averaged 188.8 yards rushing on the season and punched in 30 touchdowns. As the special teams coordinator Matsakis oversaw two new kickers in 2008 in Jacob Branstetter, who set a school record with 49 consecutive PATs made and punter Alonso Rojas, who averaged 40.7 yards per punt. KU's punt return unit ranked 26th nationally averaging 11.58 yards per return. The 2007 season saw KU rank second in the Big 12 and seventh in the NCAA in kickoff returns at 25.21 per return. In 2007, Matsakis coached one of the greatest kickers in school history in Scott Webb. Webb drilled 18 of 26 field goal attempts and 66 of 67 PATs on the season. Webb finished his career among the top three kickers in KU history in a number of categories. Twice during the 2007 season Jayhawks received Special Teams Player of the Week recognition by the Big 12 Conference (return man Marcus Herford Sept. 10 and Webb Oct. 22). At the conclusion of the season, Herford was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year by the Big 12 Coaches, while Webb earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades. At Capital, Matsakis guided all-conference first team and All-America place kicker Matt Spitz and all-conference first team punt returner Thom Hausler. The Crusaders set a school record for wins in a season with 11 and advanced to the regional finals of the NCAA Division III Championships. Capital was ranked third in the final NCAA Division III poll. In his first stint at KU, Matsakis assisted with the day-to-day operations and game planning alongside the special teams coordinator. Among his many administrative duties, he performed statistical analysis for the offense and special teams, performed self-scout and opponent scouting reports for the special teams coordinator and was involved in the areas of on-campus recruiting, camps and clinics. Matsakis also held positions at Texas State University-San Marcos as special teams coordinator during the 2003 season and as special teams intern at Texas Tech University from 2000 to 2002. At Texas State, Matsakis developed All-Southland Conference punter Cory Elolf, who was ranked seventh nationally and first in the Southland in punting average (43.35 yards per punt). He also worked extensively with the Bobcat offense, which finished first in the conference and seventh nationally in total offense with 443.42 yards per game. At Texas Tech, Matsakis worked with special teams and was part of a program which went to three consecutive bowl games. Matsakis was a three-year letterman as a place kicker and punter at Emporia State University from 1995-98. He completed a degree in finance from ESU in May of 2000. He set the ESU single-season record for most extra points made in a season with 47 and set single-game records with most PATs attempted and made with nine. Matsakis and his wife Cori have one son, Michael. |
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