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Entering 10th Year as TCNJ Head Coach in 2024-25
Alma Mater: Amherst '08
Education: Bachelor's Degree, Political Science; Master's Degree in Sports Management, University of Massachusetts, Isenburg School of Management
Hometown: Morristown, N.J.
Matt Goldsmith has spent the last eight seasons at the helm of the TCNJ men's basketball program. During that time, he has piloted the Lions to over 100 victories and an NJAC championship in 2020, when TCNJ advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Goldsmith guided the Lions to another NJAC Tournament win in 2023, an upset of fourth-seeded Kean on the road that marked the team's fourth consecutive season with a conference playoff victory. TCNJ also scored a first-round victory over Ramapo in the NJAC first round in 2022.
Goldsmith led TCNJ to a 7-1 record in the 2021 season. The Lions advanced to the NJAC semifinals by defeating Kean in the quarterfinals. That marked the fifth semifinal appearance in the six years that Goldsmith has been at the helm of the program. During that season, Goldsmith coached Travis Jocelyn to D3hoops.com Third Team All-America honors. Jocelyn was also named NJAC Pony Wilson Player of the Year, which marked the second season in a row TCNJ has earned that honor. Randall Walko took home that recognition after the 2019-20 season.
Goldsmith led the Lions to a remarkable 2019-20 campaign. TCNJ posted a record of 20-9 and captured its first New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship since the 1997-98 season. The Lions also made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the '97-'98 season and defeated Marietta in the first round for the program's first tournament victory since 1988-89. The 20 wins marked the highest single-season total since '88-'89. Goldsmith coached Walko to NABC First Team All-America honors.
Goldsmith arrived at The College of New Jersey in March of 2015, and he has compiled a record of 103-64 in his first seven seasons. Goldsmith has led the Lions to the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs in each season. He has coached 14 All-New Jersey Athletic Conference performers with eight earning First-Team honors. Goldsmith earned NJAC John K. Adams Coach of the Year honors in 2017-18.
Goldsmith arrived from Amherst College, where he was an assistant coach for three seasons and a member of the Jeffs' national championship team in 2007. Goldsmith returned to his home state of New Jersey, where he was a resident of Morristown and graduate of Delbarton High School. He is also the founder of GBA and is a camp clinician during the summer months.
Goldsmith enjoyed tremendous success with the Amherst program as an assistant coach and also during his playing career. In his first season on the coaching staff in 2012-13, Goldsmith helped guide Amherst to a 30-2 record and the second national title in program history. The following season, the Jeffs made their fifth appearance in the Final Four and boasted a season mark of 27-4.
In addition to his success with the Jeffs, Goldsmith has spent time as a volunteer assistant coach for USA Basketball. In June 2013, he assisted the Men's 2013 FIBA World Champion USA Under-19 National Team. He helped with individual workouts during practice, while volunteering with the 2014 Men's National Team that captured the gold medal. During those coaching experiences, Goldsmith was able to glean valuable experience and wisdom from elite coaching minds such as Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Billy Donovan, Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams.
Goldsmith has been a coach and instructor at the Jay Bilas Skills Camp since 2016.
Goldsmith also serves as head coach and general manager of 'The Nerd Team' in The Basketball Tournament, leading the squad all the way to the Round of 16 in the 2022 edition of the event.
A 6’ 6” forward with the Jeffs, Goldsmith continued his playing career after graduation. He played professionally in Germany for TV Werne 03 during the 2008-09 season, before returning to his native New Jersey to serve as an assistant to alumni & development at the Delbarton School. A political science major, he also served as assistant men's varsity basketball coach at Delbarton before returning to Amherst.
|
Overall |
|
|
NJAC |
|
|
Postseason |
| Year |
Wins |
Losses |
Pct. |
Wins |
Losses |
Pct. |
|
| 2015-16 |
16 |
12 |
.571 |
9 |
9 |
.500 |
NJAC Finals |
| 2016-17 |
18 |
8 |
.692 |
14 |
4 |
.778 |
NJAC Semifinals |
| 2017-18 |
19 |
7 |
.731 |
14 |
4 |
.778 |
NJAC Semifinals |
| 2018-19 |
13 |
13 |
.500 |
9 |
9 |
.500 |
NJAC First Round |
| 2019-20 |
20 |
9 |
.690 |
14 |
4 |
.778 |
NJAC Champions/NCAA Second Round |
| 2020-21 |
7 |
1 |
.875 |
6 |
0 |
1.000 |
NJAC Semifinals |
| 2021-22 |
10 |
14 |
.385 |
6 |
12 |
.333 |
NJAC Quarterfinals |
| 2022-23 |
10 |
17 |
.370 |
8 |
10 |
.444 |
NJAC Semifinals |
| 2023-24 |
20 |
9 |
.690 |
11 |
7 |
.611 |
NJAC Champions/NCAA First Round |
| 2024-25 |
20 |
8 |
.714 |
12 |
6 |
.667 |
NJAC Semifinals/NCAA First Round |
| Total |
153 |
98 |
.610 |
103 |
65 |
.613 |
2 NJAC Championships/3 NCAA Appearances |
