West Texas A&M University Athletics

Kristen Mattio has continued the storied tradition of Lady Buff Basketball as she enters her sixth season at the helm of the West Texas A&M in 2020-21. She has registering an overall record of 139-29 during her time in Canyon for a winning percentage of 82.7% as the Nashville native is the fastest head coach in program history to reach the 125-win plateau.

WT claimed their 19th Lone Star Conference Regular Season/Divisional Title during the 2019-20 campaign with an overall record of 27-6 with a 19-3 mark in league action, advancing to the program's 26th NCAA Tournament before the sudden end to the campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lady Buffs also excelled in the classroom as a member of the WBCA Division II Team Academic Honor Roll.

The Lady Buffs finished the 2018-19 season with an overall record of 29-4, claiming a share of the LSC Regular Season Title while also winning the LSC Tournament Title as they made the program's 25^th overall appearance in the NCAA Division II Postseason with a run to the Regional Semifinals hosted at the First United Bank Center in Canyon. WT finished 23rd in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II Top-25 Poll.

Mattio was named the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year for the second straight season while four Lady Buffs claimed All-LSC accolades including LSC Player of the Year Lexy Hightower who was named a D2CCA and WBCA All-American. The Lady Buffs finished the season as the second best shooting team in the country (49.3%) while ranking 14th in assists (549), 16th in three-point field goal percentage (37.1%), 17th in assists per game (16.6) and 19th in blocked shots (144).

The 2017-18 Lady Buffs continued to be the measuring stick in the Lone Star Conference as they claimed the regular season and tournament titles with an overall record of 29-5 with a 16-4 mark in league action. WT advanced to the NCAA South Central Regional Finals with wins over Arkansas-Fort Smith and Metro State before falling to Lubbock Christian in the Title Game. The Lady Buffs finished 17th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II Postseason Top-25 Poll as Mattio was named the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year, four Lady Buffs picked up All-LSC accolades while sophomore guard Lexy Hightower was named a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American.
    
In 2016-17, Mattio and the Lady Buffs had another standout year both on the court and in the classroom as the team won the Lone Star Conference Women's Basketball Academic Championship with a team grade-point average of 3.568 and finished 19th nationally in the WBCA Academic Top 25. WT sophomore Reagan Haynes earned the prestigious honor of winning the Elite 90 Award which goes to the top student-athlete with the best GPA at the National Championship round. In Mattio's two years of coaching, the Lady Buffs have had a 3.5 or better team GPA each season.
    
On the court in 2016-17, the Lady Buffs continued the success from her first season as the team was ranked as high as third nationally during the season and finished 15th in the final WBCA Top 25. The Lady Buffs finished third in the LSC with a 15-5 record and a semifinal appearance in the LSC Championship. WT earned an at-large berth in the NCAA South Central Regional where the Lady Buffs shined, winning their third regional in four years with a wins over Regis, Colorado State-Pueblo and Angelo State. WT won 70-67 in overtime at top-seeded CSU-Pueblo to advance to the region championship where the Lady Buffs demolished league-rival Angelo State, 86-64.  The Lady Buffs then drew a tough draw in the Elite Eight, where the season came to an end in Columbus, Ohio, against eventual national champion Ashland (Ohio), 82-67.   

Mattio guided the Lady Buffs to finish second nationally in field goal percentage in 2016-17 at 49.0, while ranking seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (37.9), 11th in assists (542) and 15th in free throws made (512). WT led the LSC in scoring defense allowing just 59.3 points per game ranking 40th nationally. The Lady Buffs were 19th nationally in rebounding margin at 7.4, which led the LSC.
    
She went 28-5 overall and went 13-3 in her first season as head coach in the Lone Star Conference. Mattio guided the Lady Buffs the program’s third-straight Lone Star Conference regular season title and a berth in the LSC championship game. WT received the No. 3-seed in the South Central Regional where the Lady Buffs defeated UC-Colorado Springs and Black Hills State, before falling to eventual national champion Lubbock Christian in the Sweet Sixteen. It was a matchup of the two best teams in the region all season.
    
The Lady Buffs finished 10th nationally in scoring defense in Mattio's first season at just 55.9 points allowed per game. WT was 15th in scoring margin at 14.8 points, fourth in steals (374), seventh in assists (542) and 16th in free throws made (493).  
    
Mattio graduated three seniors following her first season coaching, including WBCA Honorable Mention All-America honoree Michaela Neuhaus who also earned second CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. She also earned second team CCA All-South Central Region accolades, while being named LSC Academic Women’s Basketball Player of the Year.
    
Mattio was named head coach of the Lady Buffs on May 12, 2015, after serving two seasons as associate head coach under Mark Kellogg who took the head coaching position at Stephen F. Austin.
    
Mattio, served under Kellogg in 2013-2014 and 2014-15 as the Lady Buffs went 62-6 with two Elite Eight appearances and one national runner-up finish. The Lady Buffs won two Lone Star Conference regular season and tournament titles, while winning two South Central Region Tournament championships. She has been the main recruiting coordinator for the Lady Buffs, as well as coaching the guard position, academic coordinator, leader of the summer camp program and opponent scouting.
     
Mattio assisted Kellogg at Northwest Missouri State last year and was Kellogg’s top assistant for five years at Fort Lewis College. There, the Skyhawks went an impressive 143-20 and 93-8 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, capturing three-straight RMAC regular season titles and two RMAC tournament championships in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
     
During her tenure at FLC, the Skyhawks made a trip to the NCAA Division II tournament each season. The highlight, however, was the 2009-10 season which saw the Skyhawks go 35-4 and advance to the national championship game where they fell to Emporia State.
     
Not only did Mattio help on the court, she played a vital role in the academic success of the Skyhawks as the team earned Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25 Honor Roll accolades three straight seasons. The 2010-11 squad finished with the highest team GPA in NCAA Division II and was the top-ranked team in all five levels – Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college of women’s basketball.    
    
Prior to Fort Lewis, Mattio spent one season as the assistant coach at Memphis Central High School in Memphis, Tenn., helping her team to a 25-8 record. While in Memphis, Mattio also worked with and coached youth at Memphis Athletic Ministries.
    
Mattio first worked with Kellogg at Montana State University from 2003-2005 where they both were assistant coaches. While at MSU, she was responsible for the Bobcats’ academics, film exchange, recruiting and community affairs.
    
Along with a stop as an assistant coach at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., Mattio spent one season as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Evangel University, in Springfield, Mo., where her  team reached the Elite Eight in the NAIA Division II National Championships and posted a 29-9 record.
    
She played point guard and was a team captain for the Lady Crusaders while in college and was instrumental in leading Evangel to the NAIA Division II Sweet Sixteen. She led her team to two NAIA tournament appearance and three Heart of America Conference titles (2000-2003). Mattio was a two-time all-conference selection and as a freshman she played at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tenn.
    
Mattio graduated from Evangel in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing/management. She earned a master’s degree in 2006 in sports and wellness leadership from Austin Peay.