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Erin Matson is the lowest paid head coach on the UNC campus.
Bubba Cunningham said upon hiring Matson right after her playing career ended, “Erin is an outstanding leader who has a deep and thorough knowledge of the game, understands the balance it takes to be a successful student and athlete, and is determined to expand and propel the winning tradition of Carolina Field Hockey. She knows how to inspire, listen, teach and win – all qualities that will translate well to the sidelines and make her a terrific head coach.”
According to research compiled by R.L. Bynum, a long-time sportswriter whose reports run on the website Tar Heel Tribune, Matson’s base salary is $105,000. We know she is only 24 and in her second season after succeeding Hall of Fame coach Karen Shelton. And we know that Matson was one of the first athletes at Carolina to understand, embrace and profit from NIL sponsorships. She has her own brand – “One” – with her personal logo on all kinds of products.
Her Tar Heels follow up Matson’s first undefeated regular season as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tourney against Delaware Friday at 11 a.m. on her retired coach’s field in the stadium named for Shelton. If Matson goes two for two after winning ACC Coach of the Year, surely she deserves a raise.
Coaches are paid more if their programs bring revenue into the athletic department, which most Olympic sports teams do not. For example, Mack Brown makes nine times more than Matson’s base salary but his total income from the Rams Club, radio and TV shows, etc., makes his annual haul $5 million. Brown’s offensive and defensive coordinators Chip Lindsey and Geoff Collins each earn more than a million bucks plus bonuses for championships.
Critics of Cunningham and the university have been harping for two years that Hubert Davis should make more than approximately $3 million in total compensation, which is in the lower half of the ACC hoop coaches. After all, he’s reached the Final Four and Sweet Sixteen, won an ACC regular-season title and delivered two lifetime victories (and losses) over Duke in 2022.
It’s pretty clear that Matson is the youngest head coach on campus with the least experience, but she has gone 36-3 (18-0 this season) and also won two ACC championships, her sixth and seventh as a player and coach.
And thinking it was a long shot for Cunningham to make such an unprecedented hire, Matson was probably just happy to get the job and didn’t have much bargaining power. And she was grateful to be able to represent her country playing international field hockey in the off-season.
Like Shelton did in her early days of coaching. And like Matson wants to do to keep learning more about the game she has seemingly mastered.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
I’d give her a raise. Make her the highest paid Womens field hockey coach at least…
It is truly a fun game to watch.