Alma Mater: Hartwick (1987)

Years at Hendrix: 9th season

Matt Kern enters into his ninth season at the helm of the Hendrix Warriors in 2024.

In 2023, the Warriors rattled off home conference wins versus Millsaps and Berry en route to a 5-8-2 record. Goalkeeper James Leone was named to the All-SAA First Team.

The 2022 season was one to remember as Kern led Hendrix to a 8-4-4 record, which was the most wins in a single season for the Warriors since 2012. Hendrix capped off the historic season by hosting the program's first-ever home conference tournament match at Warrior Soccer Field.

In the fall of 2021, the Warriors went 4-8-3 after pulling off SAA wins against Sewanee and Millsaps, which was the most conference wins in a single season since 2015.

In the COVID-shortened 2021 season, the Warriors picked up a point on the road at SAA-rival Rhodes in a 2-2 draw.

Kern led the Warriors to a 4-14 mark in the 2019 season but, most notabley, pulled off a 2-1 win against Berry at home; it was Hendrix's first-ever win against the Vikings in school history and Kern's first SAA victory as the head man in Conway. 

In 2018, Kern led Hendrix to its most victories since the 2013 year and coached one All-SAA Honorable Mention player in Jack Butler and one SAA Player of the Week pick in Ricky Barrientos.

Before coming to Hendrix, Kern served as the head coach at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, a NCAA Division I program, from 2010-14. While with the Bulldogs, he coached eight All-Big South players and upset fifth-ranked Coastal Carolina in 2013. Kern's teams had a 3.0 or higher grade point average throughout all five seasons.

Kern, served as the assistant men's and women's coach at UNC Asheville from 2008-10.

Prior to joining the staff at UNC Asheville, Kern was the head coach at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. from 2002-07. The Terriers improved under his guidance and set a school record for Division I wins in 2007. He left the program in good hands as Wofford won the Southern Conference championship in 2009. All 11 starters for the Terriers' championship team were players Kern brought into the program.

Kern spent 12 seasons at Sewanee - The University of the South as the head coach from 1990-02. He was named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Kern led the school to the 2001 SCAC championship and a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Tigers went 31-6-1 under Kern in his final two years at Sewanee. He also coached the golf team and was Director of Intramurals during his tenure.

The Columbia, Md. native was an assistant coach at Springfield College for one year and helped the program set a school record for wins and a national ranking.

He enjoyed a standout collegiate career at Hartwick College from 1984-87. Kern was a four-year starter and helped lead the school to two Final Fours, three Elite Eight appearances and four Sweet 16's. He graduated from Hartwick in 1988.

Kern has two children - Brooks and Emerson.