Early Career
Matthews was a graduate assistant for the Vandals in Moscow for the 1964 season under Andros and freshman coach Bud Riley. Matthews then coached high school football in Ely, Nevada for four years and won a state title. He relocated to Spokane, Washington in 1969 as head coach at Ferris, where he led the Saxons to the city title in his second and final year. Matthews became a collegiate assistant coach back at his alma mater in 1971 as offensive line coach (later as offensive coordinator), under second-year head coach Don Robbins. After an 0-2 start, the Vandals finished at 8-3 in 1971, which included an eight game winning streak, and won the Big Sky title. At the time it was the best record in school history, and three seniors were selected in the 1972 NFL Draft. Two years later, Robbins was fired following the 1973 season and Matthews moved to the Portland area. He took over a winless program at Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon, and won consecutive state championships in 1975 and 1976, going undefeated in his third and final year. He left Sunset after the 1976 season to become a CFL assistant coach in Edmonton, Alberta.
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