Matt Richards begins his 21st season as Head Men's Basketball Coach at SMCC. During that span he has amassed a 368-200 (.648) overall record which ranks him the all-time winningest coach in SMCC history.

Richards’ teams have qualified for 19 consecutive Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) playoff berths, captured five YSCC titles, and gained bids to 12 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Tournaments, including back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2007 and 2008 and the College's first ever team National Championship in 2022. 

The four-time YSCC Coach of the Year (2004, 2007, 2015, 2022) achieved a top ranking in the national coaches' poll in 2008 and again in 2015, and has produced 30 All-Conference selections (three named Player of the Year) and 13 All-American selections (10 named first team). Following their term at SMCC, many alumni have found success playing at colleges and universities at the NCAA level and even professionally oversees. During his coaching tenure, four former players and one team have been inducted into the illustrious SMCC Athletics Hall of Fame. 

Richards has gained an outstanding reputation in the coaching ranks. He is a regular guest speaker at summer camps and coaching clinics throughout New England. Richards has also served on the USCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Poll.

Prior to arriving at SMCC, Richards worked at the University of New England (Biddeford, Maine) and coached at Biddeford High School (Biddeford, Maine). Before that, he served as basketball coach at South Portland High School (South Portland, Maine) and Kearsarge Regional High School (Sutton, N.H.).

Richards played as a four-year member of the Colby-Sawyer College men's basketball program from 1991-1994. During the 1993 season, Richards contributed to his team's top-10 ranking in NCAA Division III three-point field goals made (averaging 10.4 per game). While in high school, he excelled as the starting point guard at Scarborough High School under the coaching direction of Dan Costigan. During Richard's senior season, Scarborough qualified for the Western Maine Tournament ending a five-year drought of post-season play.

Richards received a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management from Colby-Sawyer College (1995) and earned his master's in Sports Administration from the University of Northern Colorado (1997).

In addition to his duties on the basketball court, Richards also serves as the Associate Dean of Athletics and Alumni Affairs at SMCC, overseeing eight varsity sports. During his tenure as Athletic Director, the college has seen tremendous growth in its athletic programs making SMCC a premier and highly competitive small college program within New England. Richards has also played an active role in the USCAA, serving as President on the Executive Board and as Eligibility/Compliance Coordinator.

A native of Scarborough, he and his wife Maureen reside in South Portland with their two children Ally and Emerald.

(Updated July 2023)