Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- mlvvbv@umkc.edu
Matt Vest was announced as the Roos' assistant coach on Aug. 17, 2021 following a lengthy professional career in Germany, where he played for five clubs in his seven seasons. His duties with the Roos include recruiting, scouting, and in-game and practice coaching.
“I was very fortunate to have had a long and successful playing career at both the collegiate and professional levels, but coaching was always in my heart,” Vest said. “I owe so much of my success, both on and off of the court, to my college coach and mentor, Billy Donlon. When he approached me with the opportunity to join his staff at Kansas City, it was an absolute no-brainer. I look forward to continuing to build upon the success of the program and serving this university and its student-athletes.”
Most recently, Vest played for Science City Jena from 2019-21, averaging 9.8 points and 5.5 assists for the Pro A-level team in 2019-20. A defensive hound, he also averaged 1.5 steals per game.
Prior to his time with Science City, Vest also played for Chemnitz (2018-19), Cologne Rhein (2017-18), Paderborn (2015-17) and Gotha (2014-15). Statistically speaking, Vest’s best year came in 2016-17 as a member of Paderborn. He averaged career-highs in points (13.3), rebounds (4.9), assists (5.6) and steals (1.6) while shooting 45.3% from the field.
Vest played four years of collegiate ball at Wright State under Coach Donlon, earning a plethora of awards during his time with the Raiders. He was a team captain during his final two seasons in Dayton, leading the team to two Horizon League Championship game appearances. Known for his defensive play, he was named to the Horizon League All-Defensive team in 2014, also earning a spot on the Academic All-Horizon First Team and winning Horizon League Male Scholar Athlete of the Month. Additionally, he was a two-time Honor Roll Recipient in 2013 and 2014. Vest earned his spot in the Wright State record books by shooting 44.3% from three-point range in 2013-14, the eighth-best percentage in program history, and playing in 123 games, which ranks seventh all-time.
“I’ve wanted to hire a former player, and Matt has always been at the top of the list,” Donlon said. “Matt was a terrific player and one of the hardest-working, toughest and best defensive players I’ve ever coached. His knowledge of our program, professional playing career and relatability will be key attributes on the recruiting trail.”
A Dayton, Ohio native, Vest graduated from Chaminade Julienne High School in 2010 before earning his Business Management degree from Wright State in 2014. Vest comes from a family of basketball success, as his father Mark and brother Alan also played at Wright State, while his sister Sara played at Western Michigan and his brother Kevin played at Tusculum.
Vest currently resides in Kansas City with his wife Samantha and their one-year-old, Walter. Samantha attended Wright State as well, playing for the Raiders’ women’s soccer team.
