Matt Jones will enter his sixth season as an assistant for Eric Da Costa and the men's soccer program in the fall of 2023.

Da Costa announced the addition of Matt Jones as the program's assistant coach, effective Jan. 12, 2018. Jones was then promoted to Lead Assistant Coach on Dec. 4, 2020. He previously served as a volunteer assistant with the women's soccer program under the guidance of Dave Clarke.

In the five seasons that Jones has served on Da Costa’s staff for the men’s soccer program, the Bobcats have gone 48-27-9 overall – posting an impressive 29-12-4 mark in MAAC contests. Quinnipiac has made the MAAC Tournament in four of five seasons under the help of Jones.

Jones and the Bobcats are on the heels of the team’s second-ever MAAC title, as Quinnipiac defeated Iona in the 2022 MAAC title contest in Hamden on Nov. 13, 2022. The Bobcats finished 2022 with a 13-5-3 record, going 6-2-2 in conference play to win their fifth regular season MAAC championship. QU went 8-2-2 after Oct. 1 to close the season. The Bobcats dropped a tight match, 3-2, at No. 8 Vermont in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Bobcats won nine games in the fall 2021 campaign, going 6-3 at the QU Soccer Stadium in Hamden. QU won five consecutive games to begin the season, defeating Boston College (first time since 2007), UMass Lowell, Sacred Heart, CCSU and Harvard.

QU received votes twice in the fall of 2021 for the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll – which recognizes the top Division I programs in the nation. Jones helped three Bobcats claim All-MAAC awards at the end of the regular season: Brage Aasen: All-MAAC First Team, Paulo Soares: All-MAAC Second Team, Sam McCann: MAAC All-Rookie Team.

The spring 2021 season was another benchmark year for the Bobcats. With the help of Jones’ tutelage, Quinnipiac went 5-1 in regular season MAAC play to earn the No. 1 seed in the postseason conference tournament. The Bobcats defeated Siena in the MAAC Quarterfinals, and Fairfield in the Semifinals to earn their fourth championship appearance since joining the league in 2013.

Following a pair of MAAC Tournament wins to advance to another MAAC title contest, the Bobcats received national recognition for their spring success. QU received National Top 25 votes in the United Soccer Coaches’ Poll on April 13 – a poll that recognizes the most elite programs in the country.

Quinnipiac outscored opponents 18-9 over nine games during the spring 2021 season. Jones helped keeper Jarred Mazzola earn MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors, as Mazzola allowed just four goals over six games. Braage Aasen led the team in scoring (five goals, four assists, 14 points) during the abbreviated season, earning United Soccer Coaches All-East Region honors. Mazzola, Aasen, Henry Weigand, Luke Allen and Paulo Soares were all selected to the All-MAAC Squad under Da Costa, and the Bobcats led all schools with 19 total All-Academic honorees.

Quinnipiac continued its success as a program in 2019, as the Bobcats went 7-2-1 in league play to earn the No. 2 seed in the MAAC Tournament. The program went 9-6-3 overall, winning six of its last eight games to conclude the regular season schedule.

In his first season with the men’s program in 2018, Jones helped guide the Bobcats to a 8-1-1 MAAC record as the program earned the No. 2 seed in the postseason conference tournament. Quinnipiac downed Marist in the MAAC semifinals after 10 rounds of penalty kicks on Nov. 8, then fell in the title contest vs. Rider.

Prior to this stint with the Quinnipiac women's program in 2017, Jones played professionally in Portugal for six seasons. Jones played for CD Santa Clara in Azores, Portugal before joining União da Madeira. He went on to play for CF Os Belenenses in Lisbon, Portugal from 2012-15 where he was the Liga Portugal Goalkeeper of the year in 2012-13. He most recently played for Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union in 2016. 

A decorated student-athlete at Sacred Heart University, Jones played against Quinnipiac several times during the Bobcats’ time in the Northeast Conference from 2005 through 2008. At Sacred Heart, Jones was a three-time NEC All-Conference goalkeeper, two-time All-Mideast Region member and two-time Sacred Heart Athlete of the Year. He completed his playing career second all-time at Sacred Heart in shutouts (21), third in goals-against average (1.10) and fourth in saves (320).

During his time as a student-athlete at Sacred Heart, Jones assisted with the Olé Soccer Academy and helped with the CF Os Belenenses Youth Academy while playing for his professional team from 2012 through 2015.

A native of England, Jones attended Sandon High School in Stoke-on-Trent where he graduated in 2004. Jones went stateside for college, graduating from Sacred Heart in 2009 where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor of arts in business administration with a concentration in marketing, accumulating a 3.70 GPA.