APSU athletics confirmed on Monday that, after four years as the head men’s basketball coach at APSU, Matt Figger has resigned from his position and will be named the next head coach at UT-Rio Grande Valley.
In all four years, the Governors made the OVC Tournament, including three consecutive semifinal appearances from 2018-20. The Govs posted a 14-13 record in the 2020-21 season.
“We thank Matt Figger for his years of service at Austin Peay State University and wish him, his wife Katrina and their son Vince all the best as they embark on this new opportunity in Texas,” said Austin Peay Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison in a statement. “Our men’s basketball program is one of the flagship programs at Austin Peay and historically one of the best in the OVC; we look forward to filling this role with all expediency and identifying the best fit to lead us forward.”
Figger was vital in the development of the program’s all-time leading scorer — and now NBA prospect — Terry Taylor. Taylor received awards such as OVC Freshman of the Year, multiple conference Player of the Year honors and four All-OVC Team selections.
Named as the program’s 12th head coach in April of 2017 after serving as an associate head coach at South Carolina, Figger served under Gamecocks head coach Frank Martin both in both Columbia, S.C. and at Kansas State from 2007-12.
In his first season at the helm of APSU basketball, Figger was named as the OVC Coach of the Year, making him just the third Governors coach to receive the honor and the first since 2007.
ROBERT SMITH | APSU ATHLETICS
Over his four years as head coach, Figger accumulated an overall record of 76-51, including a 49-25 OVC mark.
While the team never made the NCAA Tournament, Figger led APSU to a 1-1 record in the CollegeInsiders.com Postseason Tournament after an appearance in 2018.
Figger takes over as head coach at UTRGV following the passing of the former head coach Lew Hill, who passed away following a game against Texas Southern on Feb. 6 after batting COVID-19 and other illnesses.
The Vaqueros are a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and have not been named as the regular season or tournament champions in their 53 seasons as a member of the conference.
In addition to Figger’s resignation, the program has seen players Jordyn Adams and Reginald Gee enter the transfer portal, with Taylor also departing for the NBA draft.
APSU will begin its search for their next men’s basketball coach immediately.
