Entering 2025-26: 14th Year at Campbellsville
Position: Outside Linebackers
Alma Mater: Campbellsville University ('08)
Matt Atwood returned to his alma mater in the fall of 2013 to coach wide receivers. Atwood spent the previous four years (2009-2013) coaching at Allen County-Scottsville High School in Scottsville, Ky.
As the outside Linebackers coach, Atwood has seen multiple years of All-Conference success among his players. In the 2024 season, Ellis Reed and Jayden Cray both earned All-Conference honors.
Coach Atwood brought in some major depth in 2019 to the wide receiver position. Atwood as the WR's coach helped form Kendon Young, who was First Team All-MSC this season. Kendon racked up 951 yards, while hauling in seven TD's. He will be taking over this season as the outside linebackers coach. The Tigers in 2019 went 1-9.
Atwood has been a major asset in the offensive resurgence the past few years. As his positional coach, he coached up Kendon Young to NAIA All-American Honorable Mention as an All-Purpose player and a Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division First Team selection. Young finished the 2018 season with 1,233 total all-purpose yards, 886 receiving yards, 250 rushing yards and 97 yards on kick return.
The receiving core as a whole caught a total of 187 passes for 2,225 yards and 11 touchdowns while working with three different quarterbacks over the 10 games.
He has also helped mold former Tigers Tyus Alcorn, Demytreus Gipson, Trevon Chatman and Jarrod Harrington - who hold 20 single-season and career records.
Harrington, who graduated in 2015, holds the single-season and career mark in total receptions and average receptions per game. He ranked No. 2 in the NAIA averaging 7.4 catches per game and No. 4 in total receptions (81). In addition, he ranked No. 9 in total receiving yards (1,053). Harrington also was a major threat on special teams, breaking the single-season record for all-purpose yards where he ranked No. 2 with 1,993 yards in 2015. Gipson holds the record for total receiving yards in a career at 2,486, while Chatman finished 2014 with 1,083 receiving yards and averaged six catches per game.
Atwood was heavily involved in recruiting and coaching current receiver Tyus Alcorn - who broke the single-season touchdown record with 19 TDs in 2015.
Alcorn finished the 2016 season with 1,095 receiving yards and 109.5 receiving yards per game, which led the Mid-South Conference in both categories. He now joins Shane Riley, Trevon Chatman and Jarrod Harrington as the only 1,000-yard receivers in program history.
Alcorn also led the Mid-South with 6.6 receptions per game this season. At the NAIA level, Alcorn ranked fifth in receiving yards, sixth in receiving yards per game and receptions per game.
Highlighting his senior season, Alcorn hauled in 235 yards vs. Union College to break the single-game record, which was previously set by Shane Riley with 172 (2002).
Over the previous three seasons, Alcorn totaled 36 receiving touchdowns – breaking the career record which was previously set by Demytreus Gipson (2011-2014) with 29. He also holds the single-season mark of 19 touchdowns set in 2015.
Alcorn was named the MSC West Division Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
During his four-year playing career at Campbellsville, Atwood played wide receiver from 2004-2007 as well as playing on special teams. He was a four-year letter winner at Allen County-Scottsville High School.
Following the 2007 season, Atwood served as a student assistant coach for Perry Thomas’ first year staff in 2008 before graduating in 2009.
During Atwood’s first season as an assistant coach at ACS, the Patriots went 11-1 and advanced to the second round of the KHSAA Class 4A playoffs. The Patriots finished runner-up in Class 4A in 2010, losing to Boyle County in the championship game. ACS was 31-17 during his four years on staff.
Atwood is involved with the campus FCA leadership team and travels on the annual Sports Reach Softball Mission Trips to Florida.
