Men's Basketball Southern Conference

Wofford Adds To Basketball Staff

SPARTANBURG, SC -- Former Terrier standout Matt Allen has returned to Wofford as an assistant men's basketball coach.

Allen served as an assistant at Western Carolina during the 2003-04 campaign. He had previous stints at Dartmouth (2002-03), Campbell (2001-02) and Wingate (1997-01).

Allen replaces former Wofford associate head coach Jimmy Allen who became head coach at Averett College in Danville, Va. The Terriers have another vacancy on coach Mike Young's staff with Alex Peavey heading to Richmond, Va., to become head coach at The Collegiate School.

"Matt Allen was a great player for us and, ironically, the first player that (former Terrier assistant and current Chattanooga head coach) John Shulman and I helped recruit when we got to Wofford in 1989," Young said. "Matt has since made a name for himself in the coaching profession.

"He has done a quality job at each place he's worked and the people there have thought very highly of him. It is a pleasure to bring Matt back to Wofford. We're fortunate to have him. He's going to be a great addition to our basketball program and the Wofford College community."

Allen earned Wofford Most Valuable Player honors as a senior during the 1993-94 campaign when he led the Terriers to the NCAA Division II Tournament with a 21-6 record. He averaged 18.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in receiving NABC Division II second-team South District honors. Allen ranks 29th on the Terriers' career scoring list with 1,057 points.

A native of Concord, N.C., Allen scored a team-high 22 points in Wofford's 68-63 victory over Furman in the 1993-94 campaign. It was the second straight win in a three-year period for the Division II Terriers over the Paladins. Later that season, Allen had career-best scoring games of 34 and 32 points, respectively, in wins over Presbyterian and Columbus. His 1994 Wofford degree is in political economy and philosophy.

"It's definitely an honor and blessing to be asked by Coach Young and (former Terrier head coach and current Wofford athletic director) Richard Johnson to join the staff," Allen said. "I think being a Wofford graduate will be beneficial to me in this new position."

Allen was Johnson's first-ever early signee when he inked a National Letter-of-Intent with Wofford in November of his senior year at Concord High School.

At Dartmouth, Allen helped lead the Big Green to the 2002 Furman Poinsettia Classic championship. During his time at Campbell, where he worked for current Terrier assistant Brooks Lee's father, Billy Lee, Allen coached Adam Fellers who set the Atlantic Sun Conference career record for 3-point shooting.

Allen helped lead Wingate to an 86-32 record in his four years at that school. The Bulldogs won three straight South Atlantic Conference regular-season titles with subsequent berths each season in the Division II Tournament. Allen coached a pair of Division II All-Americans, including Lorinza Harrington who went on to play for the Denver Nuggets.

Allen and his wife, Ramona, have two sons: Bryce, 7, and Mylo, 2 months old.