Matt Downs

Coach Downs enters his fifth season at the helm of the Spalding University baseball program. Since taking over the Golden Eagle Nine in the fall of 2015, Downs has helped guide Spalding to 110 wins, including back-to-back 30-win seasons and a SLIAC regular season championship.

Prior to coaching at Spalding, Downs did a one year stint as the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at NCAA Division III Centre College in Danville, Ky. Downs' impact on the program was evident by lowering the Colonel pitching staff's walks per nine innings from 4.55 in 2014 to 3.38 in the 2015 season, as well as, raising their marks from 5.75 strikeouts per nine innings in 2014 to a remarkable 7.04 clip in 2015, highlighted by junior right-handed pitcher Rob Caudill, who led the Colonels with an impressive 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Downs also guided three Colonels, including Caudill, to their selection on the 2015 All-Southern Athletic Association teams.
His impact on the recruiting front was felt on the Centre campus, highlighted by 13 new players in this year's class, with seven from the state of Kentucky. Downs' class also boasts three players who earned All-State nods during their senior campaigns.
Prior to coaching at Centre, Downs spent two years with the Spalding U. baseball program, helping the Golden Eagles set a NCAA Division III school-record with 33 wins in 2013, guiding a pitching staff that year ranked 13th nationally in NCAA Division III in strikeouts (320) and 17th in strikeouts per nine innings (7.8). In 2014, Downs saw the Eagle hurlers to new heights, finishing fourth nationally in strikeout to walk ratio (3.08), leading the SLIAC in strikeouts and strikeouts per game.