Following an extensive national search, University of Memphis Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Laird Veatch has named Matt Riser head baseball coach. Riser becomes the 18th head coach in program history.
Riser comes to the Tigers after 10 seasons as head coach at Southeastern Louisiana, where he helped guide the Lions to four NCAA Tournament berths and three Southland Conference titles. He was also recently recognized by Baseball America as one of the nation's top coaches under the age of 40.
"Today is a great day for Memphis Baseball, as we welcome Matt Riser as our new head coach," Veatch said. "Matt's track record of building a program and mentoring young men speaks for itself, and he is extremely well respected in the industry. His vision of building Memphis into a powerhouse is compelling, and he describes a clear path towards working every day to make that happen. We are thrilled to welcome Matt, Jeanette, Xander, Jace and Jameson into the Tiger Family."
Southeastern Louisiana's success under Riser garnered national recognition, leading to the program's first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament (2016), first preseason national ranking (2017) and a Top-25 ranking during the 2018 season. Southeastern's four NCAA appearances since 2014 placed Riser third all-time in Southland history.
With 320 wins with the Lions and back-to-back 40-win seasons (2015-16), Riser finished second in program history in all-time wins with his overall record of 320-224.
"My family and I are extremely grateful for this opportunity to be a part of the Memphis community and program," Riser said. "I would like to thank Mr. Laird Veatch, Dr. Bill Hardgrave and the entire search committee for such a detailed and diligent process to make sure this was the perfect fit for both parties. Memphis has embraced the identity of a city that reflects grit and grind. We will strive as a program every day to embrace that same identity in our pursuit to bring championships back to Memphis baseball. Go Tigers Go!"
In 15 total seasons at Southeastern, Riser coached 22 All-Americans, including nine Freshman All-Americans and a trio of Academic All-Americans, the National Stopper of the Year, the nation's leading hitter and 10 Academic All-District players. Four were named the Southland Conference Player of the Year and three earned Freshman of the Year honors. A pair were named Southland Relief Pitcher of the Year while one was named both Southland Pitcher of the Year and Louisiana Pitcher of the Year. Twenty-five players were drafted under Riser's tutelage.
"Tiger Nation is going to really enjoy getting to know Matt and seeing him take the reins of our baseball program," Memphis Associate Athletic Director and baseball sport administrator Brendan Dwyer said. "When you get a chance to speak with him, you quickly understand why his program at Southeastern Louisiana became a consistent player on the national scene. He inspires belief, and we have no doubt he is the right person to continue our rise. I would like to thank our current student-athletes for their patience as we identified the next leader for the program, and we are all looking forward to the future under Matt's leadership."
In 2022, the Lions totaled 14 comeback victories – including seven walk-off wins – on the way to earning a Southland Conference Tournament championship and returning to NCAA postseason action. Riser led the Lions earned marquee wins over No. 3-ranked Arkansas and No. 1-ranked Ole Miss, the eventual national champion, grinding through a slate of games that ranked seventh in the nation in non-conference strength of schedule.
Southeastern's 2022 offense ranked in the program's Top 10 in doubles, triples and home runs. The 70 home runs hit by SLU were the fourth-most in program history and the most in more than two decades. Preston Faulkner enjoyed one of the most well-rounded offensive seasons ever by a Lion, hitting .338 with 18 doubles, 17 home runs, 70 RBIs and 39 walks.
Riser was named the 2015 Southland Conference Coach of the Year as the Lions set the school record for overall wins (42-17) and the Southland record for conference wins (25-5) on the way to claiming the conference's regular-season title.
In his inaugural season at the helm in 2014, Southeastern finished with a 38-25 record, winning the Southland Conference Tournament to advance to NCAA Regional play for the first time in 20 years and knocking off Bryant University, 2-1, for the school's first NCAA postseason victory since 1992.
Prior to taking over the reins of the program, Riser served as the Lions' primary hitting coach while working extensively with the Southeastern outfielders. He also served as the third-base coach during games and the program's recruiting coordinator, among other duties, during his six seasons as an assistant under former coach Jay Artigues. Under Riser's guidance, the Lion offense produced the 2012 Southland Conference Player and Hitter of the Year Brock Hebert (.374, 58 runs, 21 doubles, 36 stolen bases).
Riser, a Picayune, Miss., native, began his coaching career after completing his collegiate career at Tulane, where he played in 2005-06.
With the Green Wave, Riser played in 108 games over the course of two seasons. As a senior, he played in all 64 games and made 57 starts, finishing the season with three home runs, 37 RBI and 16 doubles, helping Tulane to a NCAA Regional Final Appearance. In 2005, Riser played a vital role in helping Tulane to the 2005 College World Series, playing in 44 games as a junior.
Riser earned his degree in biomedical engineering from Tulane University in 2007. He and wife, Jeanette, are the parents of three sons, Alexander "Xander", Jace and Jameson.
