Greg Mattison

Greg Mattison
Co-Defensive Coordinator
The Ohio State University

Greg Mattison, a veteran defensive coordinator in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the National Football League, joined the Ohio State coaching staff in January, 2019 as co-defensive coordinator. He carries with him a thorough knowledge of the Big Ten Conference as he has coached the past eight seasons at Michigan. He has been the defensive line coach for the Wolverines the past four seasons.

Head coach Ryan Day adds not only a veteran coach but also one of the outstanding defensive coaches in college football with his hiring of Mattison. The 2020 season will be Mattison’s 20th as a defensive coordinator, including two seasons with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. He has coached 19 future NFL players.

“Greg is a terrific coach,” head coach Ryan Day said in announcing the hire. “His experience as a coordinator and his knowledge of the Big Ten is extremely important to me.”

Mattison is one of seven to have coached at both Michigan and Ohio State, according to the Bentley Historical Library, the archives of the University of Michigan and the Michigan Athletic Department. Most notable is Bo Schembechler, assistant at Ohio State from 1958-63 and Michigan head coach from 1969-89. The others: Al Washington (current Ohio State assistant; Michigan assistant in 2018); Ed Warinner (assistant at Ohio State, 2012-16, and Michigan, 2017-present); Chuck Stobart (assistant at Michigan, 1969-78, and Ohio State, 1995-2000); George Little (assistant at Ohio State, 1913-15, and at Michigan, 1922-23; Michigan head coach in 1924); and Steve Farrell (assistant at Ohio State, 1909-12, and at Michigan, 1915-16).

Mattison’s work with the Wolverines the past eight seasons has coincided with the Wolverines’ position as one of the top teams in the Big Ten Conference and nationally.

As defensive coordinator from 2011-14, Mattison’s defenses ranked among the top 20 nationally in total defense, pass defense and scoring defense in three of those four years. His 2014 defense was seventh nationally in total defense.

And as Michigan’s defensive line coach the past four years, Mattison has been a part of four consecutive units that have ranked in the top 5 nationally each year in total defense and pass defense, and has been top 5 in pass efficiency defense during three of those seasons. The Wolverines led the nation in a major defensive category four times during this time – total defense in 2016; passing defense in 2016 and 2017, and pass efficiency defense in 2015 – and have ranked No. 2 three times: scoring and pass efficiency defense in 2016 and passing defenses in 2018. Michigan has featured the No. 3 total defense nationally in each of the past two seasons.

A three-year tenure in the NFL for Mattison preceded his eight-year run at Michigan. Mattison was linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 and defensive coordinator in 2009 and 2010. The Ravens were No. 3 in the NFL in scoring defense in both 2009 and 2010 and were No. 3 in total defense in 2009.

The 2019 season will represent Mattison’s 40th as a collegiate coach. He has held defensive line and/or defensive coordinator positions at five different Power 5 schools, starting with Northwestern (1978-80) and then subsequently at Texas A&M (1989-91), two tenures at Michigan (most recently, and also five years between 1992 and 1996), Notre Dame (1997-2004) and at Florida (2005-07), where he won a national championship as part of Urban Meyer’s staff in 2006.

Mattison has also coached collegiately at Illinois (as a graduate assistant in 1976), Cornell (1977), Western Michigan (1982-86) and Navy (1987-88). He was head coach at two high schools in his home state of Wisconsin (Riverdale, in Muscoda, from 1971-73 and Logan, in La Crosse, from 1974-75).

Mattison has a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Wisconsin-La Crosse (1971). He and his wife, Ann, have two adult children: Lisa and Bryan. Both played sports collegiately: Lisa was an all-Big East softball player at Notre Dame; Bryan was a two-time team captain and three-year starter at defensive end for Iowa.

Greg Mattison Quick Facts

Birthday: Nov. 15, 1949

Hometown: Madison, Wisc.

High School: Madison East

Alma Mater: Wisconsin-La Crosse, 1971

Degree: Physical education

Year in Coaching: 48th (First at Ohio State)

Family: Wife Ann; daughter Lisa and son Bryan

Greg Mattison Coaching Assignments