NEWS

Matthew Kinney is joining the Davidson baseball staff, head coach Rucker Taylor announced Monday.

Kinney will serve as the Wildcats’ pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for pitching after most recently serving as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Army West Point.

“We’re thrilled to have Matthew join us,” said Taylor. “He’s been part of a lot of success with programs and also with his pitching staffs. He’ll do a lot for us on the field and will provide a lot of value to our program off the field. Matthew and his wife, Allyson, will be great assets to the Davidson community.”

In 2022, Kinney helped Army win the Patriot League’s regular-season and tournament championships and make the Hattiesburg Regional. A 2015 Belmont University graduate, he’s reached the NCAA postseason from all his playing and coaching stops.

“My wife Allyson and I are excited to be joining the Davidson community and baseball program,” said Kinney. “This is an incredible place for a student-athlete to get a world-class education and compete on a nationally recognized level.  Coach Taylor and his staff have continued to take Davidson baseball to new heights. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Davidson baseball program and look forward to competing with this group come February.”

At Army, Kinney oversaw a pitching staff that led the Patriot League in ERA, WHIP, shutouts, strikeout-to-walk ratio, hits allowed per nine innings and batting average against. The staff featured Patriot League Pitcher of the Year Connelly Early and two all-conference honorees.

Kinney spent 2016 to 2021 at Southeast Missouri State, first as a volunteer assistant, then as pitching coach and finally as both pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. While at SEMO, he helped the Redhawks win the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles and reach the Oxford Regional. Two of his former Redhawks have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams.

Kinney earned his finance degree from Belmont and his master’s in sport management from Florida State in 2016.

As a player at Belmont, he helped the Bruins to the 2012 Atlantic Sun Conference regular season and tournament championships and a berth in the Baton Rouge Regional. As a Bruin, he split time as a pitcher and outfielder before pitching fulltime in 2015, when he posted a 1.80 ERA and struck out 62 in 35 relief appearances.

Kinney played the 2016 season at Florida State and reached the Gainesville Super Regional with the Seminoles. That year, Kinney was 3-0 with a 2.49 ERA in 27 relief appearances.

Kinney also played for and coached with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod League.

Kinney is married to the former Allyson Bradshaw, who played basketball at Southeast Missouri. The couple resides in Mooresville and is expecting its first child this fall.