Xavier Matthews enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Columbus State men's and women's cross country and track & field programs in 2026-27.
A former Cougar student-athlete and longtime member of the coaching staff, Matthews was elevated to interim head coach in 2023 before being officially named head coach in 2024. He previously served as an assistant coach for the programs beginning in 2020.
In 2026, Matthews guided the Cougar men's and women's track & field teams to fifth and sixth-place finishes, respectively, at the Peach Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
During the 2025 season, the men's and women's cross country teams finished fifth and seventh, respectively, at the Peach Belt Conference Championship. On the track, the Cougar men placed fourth and the women sixth at the Peach Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
In his first full season as head coach in 2024, Matthews led both the men's and women's track & field teams to fourth-place finishes at the Peach Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The men's and women's cross country teams finished seventh and eighth, respectively, at the Peach Belt Conference Championship.
Matthews began his tenure as interim head coach in 2023, leading the men's cross country team to a third-place finish at the Peach Belt Conference Championship and a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional. On the track, both the men's and women's programs earned runner-up finishes at the Peach Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Prior to becoming head coach, Matthews spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Columbus State, helping develop student-athletes in both cross country and track & field competition.
As a student-athlete from 2014-18, Matthews established himself as one of the premier sprinters in program history. A six-time All-Southeast Region selection, he earned All-American honors in the 100 meters during the 2017 outdoor season after placing sixth at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships. That season, Matthews broke the school record in the 100 meters with a time of 10.45 seconds while capturing Peach Belt Conference championship honors.
Matthews earned three All-Southeast Region selections in 2017 in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100-meter relay before adding another all-region honor in 2018. He concluded his career as a six-time All-Southeast Region selection and one of the most accomplished sprinters in program history.
Matthews graduated from Columbus State and returned to his alma mater in 2020 as a member of the coaching staff. He continues to lead and develop the next generation of Cougar cross country and track & field student-athletes.
