| Wins against Kentucky - 1 | Losses against Kentucky - 0 |
Alma Mater: Virginia Tech [1956]
Hometown: Claudville, VA
Date Born: December 20, 1934
Date Died: October 6, 2008
Overall Record: 28-19 [2 Seasons]
| Date | Matchup | UK Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/1/1962 | Virginia Tech at Kentucky | L | 77 - 80 | - |
Obituary -
Bill "Moose" Matthews, who made his mark at Virginia Tech as a basketball player, coach and athletic administrator, died Monday at the age of 73. Matthews, one of the greatest rebounders in Hokie history, died at his Blacksburg home two days after attending a football game at his alma mater.
"He was Hokie through and through," former Tech football coach and athletic director Bill Dooley said. The Patrick County native was the Virginia player of the year as a Tech senior in 1956. He served as head coach of the Hokies from 1962-64 - winning his debut against a Kentucky team coached by Adolph Rupp - before moving into administration. He was the No. 2 man in the athletic department from 1964-1986, and elected to Tech's athletic hall of fame in 1993.
"He loved Virginia Tech," said former Tech men's basketball coach Charlie Moir, who had been friends with Matthews ever since he served as Matthews' assistant coach. "He did a lot of good things for Tech."
Matthews became a prominent real estate developer in Montgomery County after leaving Tech. He was involved in the development of the Market Place shopping center; the construction of a Kmart store along U.S. 460; and Brush Mountain Estates.
The Claudville native had been in a wheelchair since suffering a stroke six years ago. "He just quit breathing this morning," said Helen Matthews, his wife of 55 years. "Just a few minutes after I talked to him, he went back to sleep."
Matthews was a basketball standout at the old Blue Ridge High School in Patrick County. At Tech, he was the team captain for his final three seasons, helping the Hokies go 14-11 as a senior in 1955-56. As a 6-foot-5, 220-pound center, he averaged 16.5 points in his career. He remains the second-leading rebounder in Tech history with 1,379 career rebounds. He also ranks second on the career list for rebounding average (13.8 rpg). He owns three of the top 10 rebounding totals on the Tech single-season list, ranking second with 470 as a junior. He averaged 18.8 rebounds that season.
He picked up the nickname "Moose" for his work under the basket at Tech. "He was big and strong," said former classmate John Moody, now a Hokie Club official. "He was a moose."
Matthews steered the Hokies to a 12-12 mark as a rookie head coach in 1962-63. The Hokies won at Kentucky in Matthews' debut Ñ the only time in Rupp's legendary career that he lost a home opener. He was 16-7 in 1963-64, but he left the bench after that season to become assistant athletic director under Frank Moseley. Tech "felt like they needed a more experienced, older coach," Helen Matthews said.
In 1976, Matthews was instrumental in Moir - then Roanoke College's coach - getting the Tech job. The two had lunch together about once a month in recent years. "It's a great loss to me because I loved talking with him," Moir said. "I'll miss Bill a heck of a lot."
Matthews was promoted to associate athletic director by Dooley in 1978, and handled many of Dooley's AD duties during football season. He moonlighted as the Tech golf coach from 1967-77. He hired one of his former golfers, Jay Hardwick, as the golf coach in 1983. "He was one of the sharpest guys I've ever been around, but É down to earth," Hardwick said.
In addition to his wife, four children and six grandchildren survive him."
