Matt Gordon joined the Valpo men's basketball staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2023-24 season. 

Gordon came to Northwest Indiana after a stint in the Big 12 Conference as he spent the last two years at Oklahoma as Director of Recruiting and Special Assistant to head coach Porter Moser. He joined Moser in Norman, Okla. after they previously worked together for a decade at Loyola Chicago. Gordon was an assistant coach for his last seven seasons with the Ramblers after spending the first three as Director of Basketball Operations.

Gordon knows what it takes to win in the Missouri Valley Conference from his time at Loyola, as he played a key role in a turnaround that saw the Ramblers post a 156-80 (.661) record during his seven seasons as an assistant coach. The team won 18 or more games in each of his last five years on staff and had a 56-16 (.778) conference record over the last four seasons. Loyola picked up a dozen wins over power conference opponents during Gordon’s time in Rogers Park.

Gordon was part of a historic run of dominance during his time on Chicago’s north side, playing an instrumental role in the team’s two Sweet Sixteen appearances in a four-year period including the program’s first Final Four berth in over 45 years in 2017-18, a season that featured a school-record 32 wins. The Ramblers won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship in three of his final four seasons on staff and finished as the runner-up in the remaining season. While with the Ramblers, Gordon coached three Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Year.  

Before arriving at Loyola, Gordon worked under Rick Majerus at Saint Louis as Director of Basketball Operations from 2008-2011. He gained experience in the NBA as a basketball operations intern with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2007-2008 season, when he assisted the Grizzlies’ coaching staff with multiple projects in the video department.

A 2006 Illinois State graduate, Gordon began his basketball career with three seasons as the head student manager for the Redbirds when Moser was the head coach in Bloomington-Normal. He also served as ISU’s video coordinator. Gordon is married to his wife, Kate.

What They’re Saying About Coach Gordon

Drew Valentine, Loyola Head Coach: “Flash is a basketball lifer. He is incredibly meticulous with his everyday approach and his attention to detail is as complete as I’ve ever seen. But it’s his loyalty and values as a person that make him who he is. He is incredibly high character and is wired to win. I loved working alongside him as assistants at Loyola, and he knows exactly what it takes to win championships in the MVC.”

Emanuel Dildy, Oklahoma Assistant Coach: “Matt is one of the hardest-working people who I have ever encountered. He has a tremendous dedication to developing student-athletes both on and off the court. Matt’s tireless drive to build relationships with student-athletes and in the community is an asset to any university.”

David Patrick, Sacramento State Head Coach: “Coach Powell has hired a fantastic human being and basketball mind who encompasses and understands winning. Flash is a tremendous teacher on the basketball floor and has been a major contributor to winning at the highest level. I couldn’t be happier for Matt and his family to be back closer to home at a tradition-filled university like Valparaiso.”

Daniyal Robinson, Cleveland State Head Coach: “Coach Powell knocked it out the park with this hire. Coach Matt Gordon is extremely detail-oriented and is great teacher of the game. He comes in every day highly prepared and has a long history of establishing genuine relationships with players. Coach Gordon joins Valparaiso with a sustained track record of transforming programs in the Missouri Valley, most notably playing an instrumental role in Loyola Chicago’s historic run to the Final Four in 2018. Coach has continuously impacted winning and played a key role in the individual success of so many student-athletes. Through his loyalty and tireless effort, Coach Gordon will continue to be an integral part of success in joining Coach Powell’s staff."