After retiring from playing field hockey, Erin Matson now the youngest national champion college coach at 23
The 23-year-old UNC Tar Heels head coach tells Olympics.com about her decision to quit the national team to become the youngest head coach to win an NCAA national championship, and how she's still helping contribute to the USA Field Hockey program.
Hockey
Erin Matson is a history-maker.
A member of the American field hockey team that won Pan American Games bronze four years ago in Lima, Peru, Matson left her playing career behind at the end of the 2022 NCAA collegiate season, retiring from the national team too in the process aged just 22.
Why? She had accepted an offer to become one of the youngest head coaches in NCAA history, moving from the field to behind the bench for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Tar Heels in January 2023.
That decision has paid off, with Matson leading the Tar Heels to the 2023 national championship – becoming the youngest national champion head coach in NCAA history.
It was a busy sunny July day for Matson when Olympics.com managed to grab a few minutes with the now-23-year-old on a video call from her car in the middle of a recruitment visit to a USA Field Hockey event, with the new Tar Heels commander already diving into the deep end preparing for the season with her team.
Matson admitted that the situation she finds herself in is far cry from being a national team player, but lets on that it could have been different: staying on as a player for Team USA while being a full-time college coach was something that she briefly considered.
"It took a lot of thought and a lot of conversations like that with my parents, coaches, everybody," she recalled. "I can prepare as well as I can and you know, work harder than anybody. (But) just at this point in time, Carolina is where my energy needs to go; it's where I want it to go. I think it deserves my all of my attention and energy.
"I came to the decision that if I wanted to be the best coach – and the team deserves that – it was just a decision that had to be made."
Even though her former team-mates competed at the 2023 Pan American Games without her, Matson didn't rule out the potential of one day donning the red, white, and blue national colours again in the future.
"The door (to playing for Team USA) is not closed, but it's not open. If the stars align and there's a possibility, you know, to do it someday and represent my country again then my athletic director, he knows if we can make it work and if it's the right timing with the right people, with the right resources, you know, then let's do it."
Erin Matson: No playing regrets, now helping build the new generation of USA Field Hockey
Having thrown herself fully into her role in charge of the Tar Heels, Matson can now boast the honour of breaking an NCAA-wide record for youngest title-winning head coach.
Coaching seemed a logical step for the 23-year-old, who won her first international cap for the U.S. barely two weeks after turning 17 in 2017.
However, the end of her time wearing the national colours coincided with a dip for the American women's field hockey programme, which with its bronze-medal finish at the 2019 Pan American Games missed out on qualifying for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Their second chance qualifier, a two-legged tie against India, ended in a narrow 6–5 defeat on aggregate, with India winning the first leg 5–1 before the U.S. claimed a consolation 4–1 second-leg victory.
"I don't know if I would use the word regret just because I'm not someone (who would) get stuck in the past," Matson said as she reflects on her international career. "But definitely, it's been a goal of mine since I was nine to represent the U.S. at the Olympics…
"That's why this decision to kind of hit pause for a little bit wasn't made hastefully, and it wasn't easy, but it just made sense. Yes, I look back and at the games in India and have them in my nightmares, but I wouldn't say regret is a big piece of it, if that makes sense."
Instead, in her new role, Matson is now tasked with helping develop her successors on the field hockey pitch.
"This next wave is going to be the one I truly believe that that will make a difference," Matson gushed. "It's just making sure we do everything we can to set them up for success." Then a pause, followed by some hard truths.
"I think that's where sometimes our organisation can be a little bit clearer with 'OK, what is our objective?' What is the one thing that is going to make us successful? Is it growing the game? Is it being cut-throat and winning and garnering the engagement from that? Whatever it is, being super clear and decisive in that.
"From our end, I know there are many coaches who will do anything to make sure these girls are set up for success and that this next wave is able to do that."
Erin Matson on supporting the current USA Field Hockey team
Matson believes the current U.S. squad is well-placed to find its way out of its recent slump forward towards Paris 2024, or failing that, the next Olympic cycle. The team won silver at the Pan American Games.
"Currently there is some experience, but we're young compared to the world," she pointed out.
"As college coaches, club coaches, we give as much feedback as we can to just make it better, make it a little bit more successful," Matson said of her role now. "Not just one year or a cycle goes by and we win a couple of games – that's not how Holland or Argentina sees success. You think of years and decades for success.
"So doing whatever we can to do that for our sport, for this (national) team, for the country and hopefully moving up the ranks. I think (USA Field Hockey) are thrilled that I'm still involved (in some way)… I know they're not thrilled that I'm technically not in a red, white, blue uniform, but definitely they know if they come to me with anything, I will be honest, I will tell them who the best ones who should be out there are, give them my thoughts and everything.
"USA Field Hockey knows that I will urge as many girls as I can to be in the pipeline and in the system and represent our flag."
Matson has grown in her new role, but what is her philosophy as Tar Heels head coach? Is her focus solely on winning titles for Carolina, or is it contributing to the USA national team pipeline?
"I want (my players) to be great and succeed at whatever it is they want to do," she offered. "Most of the time that's going to be a (collegiate) national championship or representing their country.
"My job, I totally believe, is to help them and guide them and give them resources and give them opportunities, but they need to discover that greatness within themselves. Helping them develop in general, whether that's as a hockey player, as a person, in their profession, in their relationships, in the community, whatever it is.
"And hopefully a national championship and whatnot just falls into place with that."
She can now say that indeed, it has fallen into place.