Matt Bragga
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamTennessee Tech
ConferenceOhio Valley
Record497–453–1
Biographical details
Born (1972-07-20) July 20, 1972 (age 51)
Playing career
1991–1994Kentucky
Position(s)Utility
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1996Northport (AL) Tuscaloosa County (asst.)
1997–2000Bevill State CC
2001–2003Birmingham–Southern (Asst)
2004–2018Tennessee Tech
2019–2021Rice
2022–presentTennessee Tech
Head coaching record
Overall548–529–3 (NCAA) 148-86 (NJCAA)
TournamentsNCAA: 5–5
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As assistant coach:

As head coach:

  • 4x OVC regular season (2010, 2013, 2017, 2018)
  • 2× OVC tournament (2009, 2017)

Matthew A. Bragga (born July 20, 1972) is an American baseball coach and former utility player, who is the current head baseball coach of the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. He played college baseball at Kentucky for coach Keith Madison from 1991 to 1994. He then served as the head coach of the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (2004–2018) and the Rice Owls (2019–2021).

Playing career

Bragga was a 4-year letter winner for the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team from 1991 through 1994.[1] He signed as a free agent with the Cincinnati Reds organization and played two years of minor league baseball for the Butte Copper Kings[2] and the Charleston AlleyCats.[3]

Coaching career

In 1996, Bragga began his coaching career as an assistant at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport, Alabama.[4] The following season, he accepted the head coaching position at Bevill State Community College.[5] In 2001, Bragga accepted a position as an assistant coach at Birmingham–Southern College.[6] The 2001, Birmingham–Southern finished 55–11 and won the NAIA World Series.[7]

On December 5, 2003, Bragga accepted the position of head baseball coach at Tennessee Tech university. He spent 15 seasons as the head coach at Tennessee Tech. After Bragga's first 3 seasons, Tennessee Tech had compiled a record of 46-109 (.297), but in his last 12 years as head coach he accumulated 400 wins and 283 losses (.585). He compiled 6 conference championships in his last 10 years at TTU, culminating with a 53-win campaign in 2018 when his Golden Eagles were 1 win away from reaching the college World Series in Omaha Nebraska.

On June 15, 2018, Bragga was announced as the new head coach of the Rice Owls baseball program.[8]

On May 23, 2021, Bragga was fired after compiling a record of 51–76–1 in 3 seasons.[9]

On November 8, 2021, Tennessee Tech announced that Bragga would return to Tennessee Tech as the 16th coach in program history (he was also the 13th) starting November 11, 2021.[10]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Bevill State Community College (Alabama Community College Conference) (1997–2000)
1997 Bevill State Community College 34-23 ACCC Tournament
1998 Bevill State Community College 39-20 ACCC Tournament
1999 Bevill State Community College 40-19 ACCC Tournament
2000 Bevill State Community College 35-24 ACCC Tournament
Bevill State Community College: 148-86
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (Ohio Valley Conference) (2004–2018)
2004 Tennessee Tech 15–31 10–16 8th
2005 Tennessee Tech 13–42 6–20 9th
2006 Tennessee Tech 18–36 11–16 7th
2007 Tennessee Tech 26–28 12–15 5th
2008 Tennessee Tech 35–23–1 13–14 5th Ohio Valley tournament
2009 Tennessee Tech 31–24–1 10–11–1 5th NCAA Regionals
2010 Tennessee Tech 31–25 14–6 1st Ohio Valley tournament
2011 Tennessee Tech 25–29 12–12 4th Ohio Valley tournament
2012 Tennessee Tech 21–32 10–16 8th
2013 Tennessee Tech 40–17 24–6 1st Ohio Valley tournament
2014 Tennessee Tech 40–19 18–12 2nd Ohio Valley tournament
2015 Tennessee Tech 26–29 16–14 2nd Ohio Valley tournament
2016 Tennessee Tech 31–24 17–13 4th Ohio Valley tournament
2017 Tennessee Tech 41–21 23–7 1st NCAA Regionals
2018 Tennessee Tech 53–12 27–3 1st NCAA Super Regionals
Rice Owls (Conference USA) (2019–2021)
2019 Rice 26–33 14–16 7th Conference USA tournament
2020 Rice 2–14 0–0 Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021 Rice 23–29–1 11–20–1 5th (West)
Rice: 51–76–1 25–36–1
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (Ohio Valley Conference) (2022–present)
2022 Tennessee Tech 30–27 11–13 T-6th Ohio Valley tournament
2023 Tennessee Tech 21–34 10–14 6th Ohio Valley tournament
Tennessee Tech: 497–453–1 244–208–1
Total: 548–529–3

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ "2018 Kentucky Baseball" (PDF). www.ukathletics.com. University of Kentucky. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "Copper Kings outlast Dodgers, 18–17". www.newspapers.com. The Montana Standard. August 17, 1994. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  3. ^ "Unknown". www.newspapers.com. The San Bernardino County Sun. 10 July 1995. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  4. ^ "TTU Taps Bragga for Baseball Position". www.ovcsports.com. Ohio Valley Conference. November 17, 2003. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  5. ^ "Tennessee Tech coach Matt Bragga has deep connection to Butch Thompson". www.sports.usatoday.com. USA Today. June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  6. ^ Andrew Carroll (May 25, 2001). "Bears bound for NJCAA tourney". www.tuscaloosanews.com. Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  7. ^ Tomy Deas (June 14, 2011). "Central grads lead BSC to NAIA baseball title". www.tuscaloosanews.com. Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  8. ^ "Matt Bragga Named 21st Baseball Coach". www.riceowls.com. CBS Interactive. June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  9. ^ Joseph Duarte (May 24, 2021). "Rice fires baseball coach Matt Bragga". www.houstonchronicle.com. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  10. ^ Mike Organ (November 8, 2021). "Matt Bragga returning as Tennessee Tech's head baseball coach". www.tennessean.com. Tennessean. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
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