Matt Bucklin - Men's Basketball Coach - James Madison University Athletics

Matt Bucklin

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
bucklimt@jmu.edu
Phone:
540-568-6462

Matt Bucklin joined the James Madison staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2022-23 season, arriving in Harrisonburg from Clemson.

In his first season with the Dukes, Bucklin helped lead JMU to 22 wins - its most since 1981-82 - and a spot in the Sun Belt semifinals. The Dukes posted new single-season program records for total points, rebounds and steals, as well as steals per game, as they finished inside the top 100 of the NCAA NET/RPI for the first time since 2010-11.

Bucklin spent the four previous years as the Director of Operations at Clemson, where he oversaw defensive scouting and game planning, in addition to coordinating the Tigers’ travel, budget and academic oversight. In his time at Clemson, the Tigers have earned berths to both the 2021 NCAA Tournament and the 2019 NIT.

“Matt has already worked alongside some great basketball minds, including Brad Brownell and Mark Fox,” Byington said. “They trusted him with a lot of responsibility and very much prepared him for this opportunity - he will be a great addition to our staff. Matt is a tireless worker and will make huge impacts on our player development, game planning and recruiting.”

Before Clemson, Bucklin was on staff with Fox at Georgia, serving two seasons as a graduate assistant and earning a master’s degree in sport management in 2014 before earning a promotion to operations coordinator in July 2014. The Bulldogs would reach the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and the NIT in both 2016 and 2017.

While in Athens, the Marietta, Ga. native coordinated players’ day-to-day schedules and helped oversee the program’s on-campus recruiting efforts, summer camps and community outreach.

Prior to joining the staff at Georgia, Bucklin played four seasons (2009-12) with the Bulldogs, originally walking on to the roster before earning a scholarship his junior and senior seasons and helping UGA to 2011 NCAA Tournament. He is joined in Harrisonburg by his wife, Morgan, and their daughter, Blair.