ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - After 34 years working in Triton Athletics, the esteemed Bill "Skip" Mathews '79 will step aside from his role as Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Gameday Operations and turn his full attention to his academic pursuits.
"There is a time to move on and hand the reins to the new generation," stated Mathews. "My affiliation with Eckerd College Athletics began in August of 1975 as a student-athlete, which led to 28 years as a baseball coach and now it will end in August of 2024, after 10 years as an Associate Athletic Director. I have been teaching here since 1991 and I am at a time in my life where a full-time commitment to the classroom seems to be the best way for me to develop a growth mindset in as many students as possible."
Mathews, affectionately known as "Skip," has served as an Assistant Professor for physical education at Eckerd since 1991, impacting the lives of students across the Eckerd College campus for over 30 years with his teaching of athletics administration courses in addition to teaching core curriculum classes for seniors.
Additionally, this past semester his expertise and insight was sought after, as he was given the rare opportunity to create a Triton-themed course from scratch, "The Road to Success at Eckerd," a short-term course for transfer students over Winter Term.
"Coach Mathews has been a long-time staple in the Eckerd Athletics department, and rightfully so, his retirement brings a mix of emotions as he has been a mentor and friend of mine for 41 years. While I am happy for him to move on to another chapter of his life, the department and I will miss his leadership and dedication," stated Director of Athletics Tom Ryan '87. "I look forward to seeing how he continues to enrich the lives of Eckerd College students as he focuses his attention to the classroom."
Mathews transitioned into an administrative role in the athletics department in 2014-15, following a lengthy career in the dugout as the Tritons' head baseball coach.
In his role as Assistant Director of Athletics, Mathews is a member of the senior management team, while overseeing risk management, facilities, and event management and operations. He was elevated to Associate Director of Athletics for Gameday Operations and Facilities in August 2022.
In April 2017, Mathews received the highest honor for an Eckerd athlete or coach when he was announced as an inductee into the Eckerd Athletics Hall of Fame.
Prior to his administrative role, Mathews spent 24 years in the dugout as the baseball head coach. In 2011, he became the school's all-time winningest coach after notching career victory No. 437, and capped his career in 2014 with 504 total career wins in his tenure, etching his place in history as the all-time winningest coach in any sport in EC history.
During his tenure at the helm, Mathews was honored as the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year in 1999, spent six years as a member of the NCAA Baseball Committee, and had nine players drafted, including Jim Mecir, who played 11 years in the Major Leagues.
More than 95 percent of his student-athletes who spent four years in the program have earned their degrees.
He was a student-athlete before becoming an assistant coach as a junior in 1978. Following a four-year stint as an assistant, he worked as a high school teacher, coach, and administrator before coming back to Eckerd as the head coach for his first appointment in the fall of 1990.
Mathews works in numerous roles in the Tampa Bay baseball community. Since 2000, he served as the coaching coordinator of the Tampa Bay Rays community event camps. He has served as the Rays' lead official scorer for home games since 2008, and is a member of the MLB Advisory Committee on Scoring since 2010. In the spring of 2023, he served as the Official Scorer for the World Baseball Classic final two rounds in Miami.
He has coached the Polish National Team to two gold and two silver medals and was a former bench coach for the Swedish National Team. He also spent time coaching the Russian, Guatemalan, and Netherlands national teams. Mathews was also a board member of International Sports Group (2000-18), which is responsible for coordinating baseball clinics worldwide from September through February. He also taught coaching certification courses in 10 European and Central American countries.
Mathews has also directed coaching and player clinics at the Play Ball Baseball Academy in Guatemala City.
"My office will remain in Cobb, and my heart will remain in athletics. Thank you to all who read this, as I am the person all of you helped me to become," added Mathews.
