Staff Directory

Matt Eisele

Title:
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Phone:
662-915-7534

Matt Eisele enters his second season at Ole Miss and his first as Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, bringing more than 20 years of basketball experience, an extensive recruiting résumé, and a proven history of building winning programs and developing student-athletes.

Throughout his career, Eisele has coached at nearly every level of college basketball, with experience spanning the SEC, Big Ten, Big East, mid-major, NAIA, junior college, and high school ranks. His career has been defined by recruiting, player development, postseason success, academic achievement, and an ability to identify and develop talent.

Before arriving at Ole Miss, Eisele served as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Saint Peter’s University in the MAAC, where he was instrumental in recruiting and assembling the roster responsible for one of the greatest NCAA Tournament runs in college basketball history.

As a lead recruiter, Eisele helped construct the Saint Peter’s roster that captivated the nation during its historic NCAA Tournament run. The Peacocks defeated Kentucky and Purdue, among others, on their way to the Elite Eight, becoming the first No. 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history to advance to the Elite Eight.

In 2022, Silver Waves Media recognized Eisele as one of the most impactful assistant coaches in the country, further highlighting his reputation as a recruiter, developer, and program builder.

Eisele and the Saint Peter’s staff also established two MAAC records through the development of an exceptional freshman class. Three different freshmen earned All-MAAC recognition, including the MAAC Freshman of the Year, while six different freshmen were named MAAC Freshman of the Week during the season.

That group went on to help produce three top-three finishes in the MAAC. Their success extended well beyond basketball, as all six players graduated with a GPA of 3.5 or higher—a reflection of Eisele’s longstanding commitment to developing complete student-athletes and preparing young men for success beyond the game.

Prior to Saint Peter’s, Eisele worked in the Big Ten at Rutgers University, where he helped Head Coach Steve Pikiell build a roster that ultimately ended the program’s 39-year NCAA Tournament drought. Eisele served as recruiting coordinator and oversaw the planning, organization, and execution of the program’s recruiting efforts.

During the 2017–18 season, Eisele was also recognized by CoachStat.net as one of the Top 10 Division I “Dark-Horse” Coaches in college basketball.

His career also includes experience in the Big East, where Eisele spent one season as a Special Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh.

Before returning to the Division I level, Eisele spent six seasons as the head coach at Miami Dade College, producing one of the strongest stretches in the program’s history.

During his tenure, Eisele led Miami Dade to four 20-win seasons, two Southern Conference championships, three state tournament appearances, two top-five national poll finishes, six All-Americans, and 26 all-conference selections.

Eisele was named the 2008–09 Southern Conference Coach of the Year, while his program achieved a remarkable 98 percent graduation rate. More than 40 of his players advanced to compete at NCAA Division I programs, and multiple players from Miami Dade College ultimately advanced to the NBA.

Those accomplishments reflected the foundation of Eisele’s coaching philosophy: recruit talented student-athletes, develop them relentlessly, compete for championships, and prepare them to succeed at the highest levels of basketball and life.

Eisele’s coaching career began at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi, where he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. During his tenure, he helped recruit three all-conference student-athletes and began establishing the recruiting foundation that would become a defining element of his career.

A native of Hollywood, Florida, Eisele is a 2004 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned his degree in Communications and Public Administration.

Now at Ole Miss, Eisele brings more than two decades of experience to the Rebels, along with a résumé that includes historic NCAA Tournament success, championship-level recruiting, extensive player development, academic achievement, and experience building winning programs across multiple levels of college basketball.