Eric Mathies joined the LIU football staff in January 2020, serving as the assistant head coach and defensive line coach.
Mathies comes to the Sharks after serving as the D-line coach at North Texas. He served in the same role prior to UNT at Florida Atlantic during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
With the Owls, Mathies was elevated to the team's recruiting coordinator at the conclusion of spring ball in 2017. In 2018, the Owls recorded 23 sacks. In 2017, his position group was integral in the Owls climbing to a national rank of No. 24 in sacks, a 57-spot improvement from the previous season. The unit's work paid off with each starter on the Owls' line earning Conference USA Honorable Mention recognition.Â
Prior to his arrival at FAU, Mathies was on South Florida's staff from 2013-16. Mathies joined the USF's football staff as defensive line coach in January of 2013 and added the duties of recruiting coordinator to his plate in 2016.
Mathies helped guide USF's defensive end Eric Lee to Second Team All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2015 as Lee led the Bulls with 12.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. USF ranked No. 13 nationally in tackles for loss (7.5 per game), led the AAC while ranking No. 26 nationally in sacks (2.62 per game), and was third in the conference and No. 31 nationally against the run (141.4 yards per game).
In his first season at USF, Mathies guided a strong defensive line that helped the Bulls earn a No. 12 FBS rank in 7.6 tackles for loss per game and No. 21 rank in total defense allowing 350.8 yards per game, while nearly tripling the forced turnovers from nine the previous season to 25, and scoring three defensive touchdowns.
Mathies also coached at Western Kentucky, Tennessee State, and Midwestern State (TX), where he also served as the strength and conditioning coach.Â
Mathies, who earned his bachelor's degree from Murray State in 1998, began his career at Kansas before transferring to Murray State. A defensive lineman, he helped the Racers to a pair of Ohio Valley Conference championships as MSU qualified for the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in both 1995 and '96.
