The Memphis Tigers Baseball Team’s search for a new head coach ended yesterday as the program announced that former Southeastern Louisiana head coach Matt Rizer has accepted the position. Riser will become the 18th head coach in program history.
Riser will replace former Tigers head coach Kerrick Jackson, who recently left the program after one season to accept the head coach position at Missouri.
Riser coached 10 seasons at Southeastern Louisiana, leading the program to three conference championships, 320 wins, and four NCAA Tournament appearances, and being named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year in 2015.
Riser was recently named one of the top coaches under 40 by Baseball America. Riser coached a total of 22 All-Americans, four Conference Players of the Year, as well as 25 players being drafted in his tenure.
The University of Memphis Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Laird Veatch spoke on the excitement of the hiring of Riser.
"Today is a great day for Memphis Baseball, as we welcome Matt Riser as our new head coach. Matt's track record of building a program and mentoring young men speaks for itself, and he is extremely well respected in the industry. His vision of building Memphis into a powerhouse is compelling, and he describes a clear path towards working every day to make that happen. We are thrilled to welcome Matt, Jeanette, Xander, Jace and Jameson into the Tiger Family."
The program is optimistic about the success of Riser as they look to build on last season. This past season, Memphis went 29-28, which was their highest win total since the 2017 season.
Riser has certainly embraced the culture of the program already with high praise.
"My family and I are extremely grateful for this opportunity to be a part of the Memphis community and program," Riser said. "I would like to thank Mr. Laird Veatch, Dr. Bill Hardgrave and the entire search committee for such a detailed and diligent process to make sure this was the perfect fit for both parties. Memphis has embraced the identity of a city that reflects grit and grind. We will strive as a program every day to embrace that same identity in our pursuit to bring championships back to Memphis baseball. Go Tigers Go!"
Riser will be introduced as the team’s new coach later once details are released.
