CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M Director of Athletics, Michael McBroom, announced on Wednesday that Matt Stewart has been elevated to head coach of WT Track & Field and Cross Country following seven seasons as the program's top assistant.
 
"Matt Stewart has proven himself to be an outstanding track and field coach. He is highly regarded by his peers, student-athletes and administrators throughout the country" said McBroom "His work over the last seven years has been instrumental in the rise of WT as national track power, and I have every confidence in his ability to take over and lead our program. He understands and embraces our expectations of athletic and academic success and will continue our tradition of excellence."
 
During his time in Canyon, Stewart has overseen WT's sprints/hurdles/multis while coaching 71 All-Americans and 37 different individual/event Lone Star Conference Champions within his respective events while being named a three-time USTFCCCA All-Region Assistant Coach of the Year. Since starting the program in 2009-10, WT has made the move from a start-up program to an annual contender in the LSC Title race and a staple in the NCAA National Championships as the Lady Buffs claimed their first NCAA Division II Outdoor National Title earlier this spring.
 
"I am honored to be named the head coach at West Texas A&M. First, I would like to thank Dr. Wendler and Michael McBroom for this opportunity. Also, I would like to thank Darren Flowers for the leadership he gave to make this a successful program" said Stewart "I feel fortunate to have a tremendous coaching staff already in place and together we will work hard to instill in our student-athletes a great work ethic in order to continue our success in making this program even stronger."
 
The Lady Buffs captured their first NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championship on May 27, 2017 in commanding fashion, winning by 20 points. WT finished the championships with four individual/relay national champions, 10 All-Americans and two school records. WT claimed its second straight LSC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Title while the Buffs finished third, the teams combined to win a program-best 12 individual events over the three days of competition. Stewart was named the USTFCCCA South Central Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.
 
During the indoor season, the Lady Buffs became the first team in Lone Star Conference history to claim four straight Indoor Championships while the Buffs finished the event fourth. WT had the highest women's finish of any LSC program in fifth with 35 points at the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships as Rellie Kaputin became the first Lady Buff in program history to win an individual national title (triple jump) while becoming the first athlete in program history to earn three All-American honors in consecutive championship meets.
 
The 2016 season saw the Buffs finished fourth in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year rankings as well as the Lady Buffs finishing fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Lady Buffs had a strong spring as they won their third consecutive LSC indoor title before finishing 19^th at the indoor championships. The men's team finished 16^th at the NCAA Championships highlighted by the men's 4x400 who finished fifth and Daniel Gyasi who finished sixth in the 400.

The Lady Buffs were ranked as high as No. 3 in the USTFCCCA weekly rankings. They won their first-ever LSC outdoor team title as Libby Strickland earned the Wes Kittley Award for the second time in her career. They went on to finish fourth in the national meet bringing home some hardware for the first time in program history. The Buffs finished a program-best eighth at the outdoor meet as Gyasi became the first WT athlete to earn two All-American honors at both indoor and outdoor championships in the same year.  Stewart was named USTFCCCCA South Central Women's Assistant Coach of the year for the second time in his career.  

During the 2015 season, WT finished its most successful season to date as the program earned school best finishes in men's and women's indoor competition as well as women's outdoor competition. The Lady Buffs also earned their second-straight LSC Indoor Championship while the Buffs finished a program-high eighth in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year rankings. Stewart would also coach his athlete Sharon Kwarula to the LSC's Wes Kittley award, recognizing the outdoor championship's most outstanding female track athlete, the second-straight award for WT.

In 2014, Stewart helped lead both the men's and women's indoor teams to their first LSC Championships in program history while he was named USTFCCCA South Central Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year. His success continued in the outdoor season where he coached the women's team to a second place finish at the LSC Outdoor Championship and the LSC's Wes Kittley Award Winner in Libby Strickland. Stewart also coached Tommy Curry and Morgan Shelton to LSC Outdoor Track and LSC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year honors in 2012.
 
Before coming to WT, Stewart spent the 2009-10 season as an assistant coach at Abilene Christian. At ACU his coaching responsibilities included working with all sprints, hurdles, and relays as well as multi-event athletes, producing seven individual All-Americans and one All-American relay.

Stewart served as the head track and field coach and assistant football coach at Giddings (Texas) High School. In three years (2006-08) at Giddings, Stewart coached athletes to four medals at the Texas state high school track and field championship meet, as well as the 2006 Class 3A 400 meter state champion. Prior to his three-year stint at Giddings, Stewart was the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Texas Tech (2005-06).

A 2001 graduate of Odessa Permian High School, Stewart was a four-year letterman on the track and field team at Texas Tech (2002-05). He competed in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and on the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams for the Red Raiders. A 2003 NCAA Division I All-American, Stewart was a three-time national meet qualifier, he also earned 11 All-Big 12 honors and was a member of the 2005 Big 12 Outdoor Champions.

A graduate of Texas Tech, Stewart earned his Bachelor of Science in Sports Science in May 2006. In June 2012 Stewart received the sprint, hurdle and relay event specialist certification from the USTFCCCA Track and Field Academy. Stewart is married to former two-time WT All-American Sarah Snider.