Mathews right man for the job

[KFDM COOP]

Mathews right man for the job

Gabriel Pruett

The Orange Leader

If there was ever a coach that cared about his players, it would be Vidor's Jeff Mathews.

Vidor has probably never had a coach like this guy.

Here lately though Mathews has been under some heat on the internet and around water coolers.

The Pirates are 1-4 this year after going 3-7 a year ago.

Vidor has not had a winning mark since 2002 when the Pirates went 6-4 and have not made the playoffs since 2000 when they lost to Nederland 21-9.

The last time before 2002 the Pirates made a playoff run was in 1978 when Vidor fell to Aldine.

Six coaches made a stop at Vidor in between the playoff drought before Mathews, a graduate of Bridge City High School and McNeese State, took the helm in 1999.

Stop putting the blame on Mathews, the longest-tenured coach in Vidor’s history.

Getting to the playoffs in the 4A district in Southeast Texas is no cake walk.

In 2002 through 2003 West Orange-Stark, Ozen, Lumberton, Beaumont Central, Little Cypress-Mauriceville, PN-G, Silsbee and Nederland made up a monster nine-team district.

This brunts the blame for not making the playoffs and not Mathews.

The years 2004 and 2005 saw the district slim down a bit as Silsbee left but Nederland, PN-G, Central and Ozen were still around.

Then last year added Dayton. I am sure that made Mathews a real happy person.

Yet his Pirates always fight on.

Vidor is one of the hardest places to play, ask Nederland that from last year when the Pirates won 28-24.

The list goes on and on.

Wins and losses are always what fans and supporters hang on to but there is so much more than that with high school football.

Mathews cares and does his best week in, week out to put his Pirates in position to win.

The wins may come at a premium in Vidor but they do come.

In 2004 the Pirates downed Central and a year later beat Lumberton.

The simple and painful truth in District 22-4A is that the top teams are the top teams each and every year.

Parity has yet to drop from the NFL to college and down to Southeast Texas.

PN-G, Nederland, Central, Ozen and now Dayton are expected to be in the playoffs every year.

It is hard for a team like Vidor to compete against these powerhouses, yet they do compete.

This year the Pirates lost their top two running backs for several weeks then traveled to Nederland to face the Bulldogs who had revenge on their mind.

It was also a night when Nederland celebrated honored the 50th anniversary of the 1957 Nederland Bulldogs’ state championship team.

Once again I am sure Mathews was saying thanks to that one.

This can be guaranteed, Mathews never made an excuse.

The Pirates did what they always do. They showed back up the next week and practiced just like they had won the game.

There are a lot of lessons in football to be learned and Mathews knows most of them have more to do with life than winning and losing.

[Guest Orangeboy]

Very good article Gabe.

[Guest Pirate V Ball]

We love Coach Mathews, just need some new plays.

[vpfan]

Great article. Mathews has done a great job and is an awesome motivator. It has been unfortunate that the fans feel it important to degrade the man. Regardless of ill feelings, the fans need to put this behind them and start cheering on the team. The fans in the stands have been slacking in this department.

[Guest Pirate V Ball]

It's not him. It's the playcalling.

[tvc184]

It's not him. It's the playcalling.

The play calling is the head coach. If a head coach doesn't like what the offensive coordinator is calling then he needs to correct the problem.

[Guest blackflag]

The play calling is the head coach. If a head coach doesn't like what the offensive coordinator is calling then he needs to correct the problem.

very true!!

[Pirate88]

Good article. Vidor is luck to have Matthews as AD. All programs have benefited from him being there. I know the football team is down, but hang in there. Do you really want to go back to the revolving door at head coach?

[Guest piratefaithful]

Nobody ever doubted his character..I just dont understand why we cant be like PNG ,Ned.those other schools that are playoff contenders year in and year out.

      but there were alot of posts today about his pay and his asst.pay .that might explain alot.Bigdog said there Dc has been there 34 years.we have had two(DC) in the last three years. I like the guy I just would like to see more then an average of three wins a year..Go Pirates!

[Guest Tyrone27]

I think we all would like more than three wins a season. But I truly beleive Mathews is doing the best he can with what he has. If I'm not mistaken he has fewer and younger assistance now than when he became Head Coach. Experience can solve alot of problems.

[Guest Indian Chief]

Good point. Got to have the Athletes.

[big_james]

Hard to keep your job when don't win. If Vidor wants to settle being at the bottom of 22-4A every year that's their choice. I'm sure the rest of the district will not complain!

[Guest beat-em_deep]

Vidor has plenty of athletes!

[Guest piratefaithful]

Hard to keep your job when don't win. If Vidor wants to settle being at the bottom of 22-4A every year that's their choice. I'm sure the rest of the district will not complain!

thats my whole point I dont want to settle..But everyone on here thinks I am the anti christ because I want more then 3 wins  a season..Go look at the "Vidor coaches through the years thread".they want to hang me because I expect more then 1 winning season out of 9 years..

  If you settle for that and your community accepts that year in and year out you will never get better.

[russell ath]

Since 1999 Vidor has had 3  6-4 seasons, 1  5-5 season and 1  4-4 season.  This season he is starting at least 9 sophomores.  I dont know about the B.C. job, but he is still here so lets help the program by supporting him instead of bashing him on this website that I am sure all of his players read. 

[vpfan]

Oh yea, the players do read these, I can attest to that.

[WillyWonka]

Everyone here thinks you are the antichrist, not because you want a winning season for Vidor, but because your witchhunt regarding Mathews is growing tiresome.  80 something posts in the last few days....most spewing your apparently know-it-all attitude regarding what should be done with Mathews.

You say you don't want to bash him, then bash him in your next post.  You say you understand his plight regarding pay then bash him for trying to move to another district.  I agree something different needs to be done...whether his assistants/OC/DC whoever need to leave....but if I felt as strongly as you "supposedly" do, I think I'd be at the next school board meeting voicing my concerns.  Certainly, not on here turning every Vidor thread into a "Let's Fire Jeff Mathews" campaign.

Seriously classless man.

[Yeoj]

I think that he's a good guy and may be the right man for the job, but is he the right coach for the job?  When I watch them play Livingston, it seem like the Pirates only had one good running play and the passing game was horrible.  I just dont think Vidor is big and physical enough this year to make the veer offense work.  A great coach once said its the players that make the X's and O's not the X's and O's making the players.

[Guest piratefaithful]

Everyone here thinks you are the antichrist, not because you want a winning season for Vidor, but because your witchhunt regarding Mathews is growing tiresome.  80 something posts in the last few days....most spewing your apparently know-it-all attitude regarding what should be done with Mathews.

You say you don't want to bash him, then bash him in your next post.  You say you understand his plight regarding pay then bash him for trying to move to another district.  I agree something different needs to be done...whether his assistants/OC/DC whoever need to leave....but if I felt as strongly as you "supposedly" do, I think I'd be at the next school board meeting voicing my concerns.  Certainly, not on here turning every Vidor thread into a "Let's Fire Jeff Mathews" campaign.

Seriously classless man.

Go back and see where I Bashed him! and then let me know.Am i guilty of wanting Vidor to be better? yes.here you are bashing the OC/DC.you just said they need to leave/Ultimately it is the head coach's responsiblity ..Right? It dont matter if I was at the next school board anyway.they arent going to do anything..I really dont know if he is the problem or not.but i do know it comes back on him if they arent winning.Not one time have i said he needs to be fired.I have said there needs to be changes..there is a big difference.

 and I did not bash him for trying to go to another district.go back and read and Vpride brought it up saying he cares and he could have left if he wanted to..I only stated he TRIED to leave..that sir is not bashing..Those are just facts..no one want the truth though..thats the problem..facts are facts

[pirate58]

Matthews has made Vidor competitive and when teams play Vidor they do not know for sure if they can beat us like it used to be. I appreciate the work he has done there, I think the community should support him with competive pay for him, his coaches and trainers. And the boys should step up and play with pride and they can win some games. They have good athletes at Vidor and I know they can do it.

[piratefan]

I just saw the list..that is embarrassing..Its not a bad living but it doesnt compare to what the other coaches in his district are making.Which  only puts him at a disadvantage when recruiting other coaches to come coach at Vidor and stay there.

  Dayton has turf with a whole new stadium seating,PNG is going to get a new field and pressbox.Very dissappointing to see Vidor not attempting to keep up with salaries and facilities

[Guest Nederland Bandit]

Maybe Mathews needs to let a certain coach go?

[Guest piratefaithful]

Maybe Mathews needs to let a certain coach go?

Now there's an idea!

[BIGMO44]

As someone with limited ties to Vidor and Lumberton, I saw the Lumberton-Vidor game and a few other Vidor games over the last few years. I don't think Vidor will get to the next level with Mathews as head coach. I'm not mad at Vidor, I would love to see them turn it around and start competing. I'm sure he is a nice guy and the kids love him, but as a vasrsity head coach, its all about winning, not just keeping it close. Mathews was the right man when he came but I think its time for change in Vidor.

[TXBaseball]

As someone with limited ties to Vidor and Lumberton, I saw the Lumberton-Vidor game and a few other Vidor games over the last few years. I don't think Vidor will get to the next level with Mathews as head coach. I'm not mad at Vidor, I would love to see them turn it around and start competing. I'm sure he is a nice guy and the kids love him, but as a vasrsity head coach, its all about winning, not just keeping it close. Mathews was the right man when he came but I think its time for change in Vidor.

Well BigMo, if you have no ties to Vidor, go back to sleep.  Some of us here would like to keep him around!