Matthew Driscoll 'at peace' with decision to leave University of North Florida after 16 years

Was there any doubt that Matthew Driscoll's final news conference as the University of North Florida basketball coach would be motivational, inspirational and emotional?

In an hour-long soliloquy filled with laughter and tears on 16 years as the most successful coach not only at UNF but in the ASUN conference, Driscoll said that he is "at complete peace" with the decision to leave UNF at the age of 60 and join Jerome Tang's staff at Kansas State, where he will be the associate head coach.

"Because I know God is calling me makes it easy to do the right thing," Driscoll said after the news conference at the Herbert University Center, which was attended by former players and current UNF basketball and support staff, administrators and boosters who Driscoll credited as the "village" that helped him go 248-264, win three ASUN regular-season titles, the 2015 ASUN Tournament championship and the school's only NCAA bid to date.

"If you could sum up coaching in one word, I think the majority would say servant," he said. "We came here to serve. That was our mission from the beginning. I think that's what my legacy will be at the end of the day is that he came to serve, not be served."

UNF elevates assistant Bobby Kennen

UNF announced the resignation on May 22. Bobby Kennen, who was on Driscoll's staff during his entire tenure and has been the associate head coach since 2012, will be the interim coach for the 2025-26 season.

Athletics director Nick Morrow said he will not entertain candidates until after the season.

"Expectations don't change this year," Morrow said. "We're coming into this season competing for an ASUN championship. I'm not going to sit here and say he's got to win X number of games or the championship to get the job. That's not how I operate. Right now I'm focused on supporting [Kennen] and giving him the staff he needs to have success this year. I'm not going to be a distraction by talking to other coaches and search firms while they're competing and prepping for the season. It's not on my radar to have those right now."

Matthew Driscoll has close ties with K-State coach

Driscoll, 60 and a native of Pittsburgh, was on the Baylor staff with Tang from 2003-09 and is Godfather to Tang's daughter.

Driscoll, who recently signed a two-year contract extension at UNF that would have carried him to 64 years old, said the circumstances lined up for him to make the move, including a chance to mentor a young staff at Kansas State.

"Any time in life when you are called to lead, I think it's important to do a complete deep dive into what's being placed in front of you," Driscoll said. "I could have, based on my skill set and timing, gone to a lot of places. This has been a very exact, very purposeful move. I have peace in my heart about what I'm doing."

Matthew Driscoll: UNF 'made me a better man'

Driscoll concluded the news conference by reading a letter he wrote to his players past and present, coaching staff, administration and the UNF community, in which he broke down in sobs several times, while his wife Carrie, in the front row, silently mouthed the words, "I love you."

"My heart overflows with gratitude," Driscoll said in reading from the letter. "Thank you for every single ounce of support, sacrifice and love that you gave ... we learned to love together, suffer together through comfort and challenges. You made me a better man, a better husband, a better coach and more importantly a better human being."

Morrow lightened the mood in the room when he quipped after Driscoll composed himself, "I knew he'd go for a little while."

Morrow then went on to read from his own statement in praise of Driscoll.

"I speak for other coaches, our administration, for UNF when I talk about how deeply grateful we are for Coach Driscoll and the lasting impact he's made on our university and our community," Morrow said. "He's been one of the greatest ambassadors in UNF history, always representing the brand, always passionately sharing what makes UNF special, not UNF basketball, not UNF athletes ... UNF and why it's so special. Coach Driscoll and his family have changed the University of North Florida. Their legacy will live forever."

Rival coach, ASUN Commissioner praise Matthew Driscoll

"He took a very hard job there and from day one did an amazing job," Mincy said. "He had the ability to identify and develop talent at an elite level. He took players who were not highly recruited and made them all-league. We're going to miss him in the ASUN. I'm going to miss seeing him on the sideline at games. This really is a loss for the ASUN." 

ASUN Commissioner Greg Bacon said in a statement emailed to the Times-Union that Driscoll's legacy in the conference goes beyond victories.

North Florida Ospreys head coach Matthew Driscoll is all smiles after the game of an NCAA men’s basketball matchup Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla. UNF held off a late rally from JU defeating them 81-78. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

"Coach Driscoll is and will always be a legendary figure in the history of the Atlantic Sun Conference," Bacon said. "While his career records and statistics are a testament to his achievements, what stands out even more, in my short time getting to know him, is that he is an exceptional person. His dedication and care for his student-athletes, the University of North Florida, the Conference and everyone around him are truly remarkable."

Driscoll said he will keep his home in Jacksonville and will maintain ties to the First Coast and to UNF. His son Chase will accompany him to Kansas State as the basketball team's video coordinator.

"I've lived in Jacksonville a quarter of my life," he noted. "UNF gave me my first opportunity to be a head coach and it's hard to put into words the impact that will have in my heart. Jacksonville is one of the greatest places in the world to live and I've lived in a lot of great places. Jacksonville, UNF and the people will have an incredible grasp on my heart for a long time."

Matthew Driscoll started 'Birds of Trey' mystique  

Driscoll came to UNF in 2009 after NCAA Division I assistant coaching stints at Baylor, Clemson and Wyoming. The Ospreys went 13-18 in his first season but he quickly established the "Birds to Trey" identity, with a fast-paced offense predicated on the 3-point shot. 

With players like Dallas Moore, Beau Beech, Parker Smith, Trent Mackey, Aaron Bodager and Ivan Gandia-Rosa, UNF rained in 3-pointers and won games. 

The Ospreys led the ASUN in scoring average three times, in 3-pointer attempts per game seven times, 3-point percentage four times and collected three regular-season ASUN titles and the 2015 ASUN Tournament Championship in 2015, leading to the team's only NCAA Tournament appearance. 

Driscoll coached 13 of 18 players who have scored 1,000 career points for UNF. 

Driscoll also willingly played anyone, anywhere during the non-conference season. UNF played teams in the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 throughout his tenure, and pulled off the occasional upset. 

Last year, UNF beat South Carolina and Georgia Tech on the road. They also have road victories against Purdue and Illinois.  

His first game as the UNF coach was at Notre Dame. Under Driscoll, the Ospreys also played teams such as Florida, Florida State, Syracuse, UCLA, Gonzaga, Texas and Michigan State.

Matt Driscoll developed players' skills and character 

University of North Florida coach Matthew Driscoll guided the Ospreys for 16 years, beginning in 2009-10.

Player development was a huge part of Driscoll's reign at UNF, but in his later years it was almost a detriment. Once the NCAA relaxed its transfer rules and NIL payments began to mushroom, Driscoll frequently lost to bigger programs players he and his staff had developed. 

UNF's two leading scorers in the last two seasons, Chaz Lanier and Jasai Miles, left for Power Four programs, Lanier to Tennessee (where he led the Vols in scoring on their way to the NCAA Elite Eight) and Miles to Indiana. 

Also going to Indiana is Josh Harris, a freshman who led UNF in rebounding. 

UNF went 15-17 overall and 8-10 in the ASUN in Driscoll's final season.

But Driscoll's emphasis also was on academics and character. UNF had 120 basketball players make the ASUN's Academic Honor roll during his time there.

"The bottom line is that Matt impacted our family and our life tremendously while Beau was at UNF and he has continued to do so," said Bud Beech, the former Nease and Ponte Vedra High coach. "Beau played for four years but the relationship has carried on with Matt in so many ways. Matt and all the former players are such a tight-knit group, with the love and affection they have for each other, the character-building and the example he leads by, on and off the court."  

Who is Bobby Kennen? 

A native of Ocala who played four years at Palm Beach Atlantic, Kennen, 53, was Driscoll's first hire when he came to UNF in 2009 and was elevated to associate head coach in 2012. 

Kennen was a high school coach in Florida at Santaluces and Williston, was an assistant at Central Florida Community College, and then coached for five years for Hugh Durham at Jacksonville University. 

University of North Florida associated head basketball coach Bobby Kennen will be elevated to interim coach for the 2025-26 basketball season after the resignation of Matthew Driscoll.

Kennen then coached at Campbell for four years before coming to UNF. 

"Bobby deserves this opportunity," Mincy said. "I think it will be a great move for UNF." 

"We are incredibly fortunate to have a high-caliber coach in Bobby Kennen," Morrow said. "For the past 16 years, he has been a vital part of the program's success, and I have every confidence in his ability to lead us forward."

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Matthew Driscoll 'at peace' with decision to leave University of North Florida after 16 years