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Colgate University Athletics

Matt Langel Headshot 2022

Matt Langel

  • Title
    Head Men's Basketball Coach
  • Email
    mlangel@colgate.edu
  • Phone
    315-228-7571
  • Alma Mater
    Penn ’00
 | 

Awards/Records

  • Winningest Coach in Program History
  • 5x Patriot League Coach of the Year (2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024)
  • 2x NABC District 13 Coach of the Year (2019, 2023)
  • ECAC Coach of the Year (2019) 
  • 2x Mid-Major Coach of the Year Finalist (2020-21, 2021-22)
  • Only head coach in Patriot League men's basketball history to earn five Coach of the Year honors

Matt Langel has guided Colgate Basketball to its greatest era in program history. 

Since arriving in Hamilton in 2011, Langel has mentored four Patriot League Players of the Year, three Patriot League Defensive Players of the Year, two Patriot League Rookies of the Year, more than 40 All-Patriot League picks, seven Patriot League All-Rookie selections, 12 All-District honorees, and an AP All-American honorable mention. 

In 2023, Langel became the Patriot League's first four-time Coach of the Year. He then repeated the honor in 2024, earning Coach of the Year for the fifth time in a seven-year span. He guided Colgate to its fourth consecutive Patriot League championship, becoming the first program in league history to four-peat. Five of Colgate’s seven NCAA tournament appearances have come under Langel, bringing the Raiders to the top of the Patriot League record book in tournament titles (7).

Langel is the winningest coach in program history. His record stands at 227-183 overall, including a 141-79 mark in the Patriot League following the historic 2023-24 season. Program highlights since Langel arrived include the following: 
  • Only five-time Patriot League Coach of the Year in league history
  • Five Coach of the Year honors in a seven-year span
  • Five Patriot League championships (2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24)
  • Five NCAA tournament appearances (2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24)
  • Five Patriot League regular season titles (2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24)
  • Five 20-win seasons (2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24)
  • First team in Patriot League history to win four consecutive league titles
  • Program record 26 wins and Patriot League record 17 league wins in 2022-23
  • Highest seed in NCAA Tournament (No. 14 three times)
  • Seven consecutive Patriot League championship appearances
  • Four years of setting program-record win totals
  • Nearly 20 former Raiders playing professionally
  • Winningest coach in program history

Uncharted Territory
The winningest coach in program history, Head Coach Langel has guided Colgate to its first five 20-win seasons, six of the program's eight regular season championships, and five of the program's seven tournament conference titles, including four straight years in 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24. Langel is the only head coach in Patriot League men's basketball history to win five Coach of the Year awards.

Since 2018, Colgate is 137-52 overall and 87-15 in the Patriot League. That stretch includes the program's only five 20-win seasons, five regular season championships, five tournament titles, and five NCAA tournament appearances. Colgate has the highest conference winning percentage in the country since 2020 at 92.3 percent (72-6).

Historic Runs to the Big Dance
Colgate in 2023-24 finished 25-10 overall, tied for the second-most single-season wins in program history. The Raiders were 16-2 in Patriot League play, marking their third straight season with at least 16 conference wins. Colgate became the first team in Patriot League history to go unbeaten on the road (9-0) during league play en route to its fifth consecutive regular season title culminating with its fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance. 

Colgate’s 2022-23 season was capped off by its fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. The Raiders set a program record with 26 wins (26-9) and became the first team in Patriot League history to win 17 (17-1) conference games. Colgate once again boasted one of the nation’s top offenses, ranking first in three-point percentage (40.8), second in field goal percentage (51.4) and effective field goal percentage (58.5), and third in assists per game (18.6).

The Raiders in 2021-22 won a program-record 15 consecutive games on their way to securing the program’s fifth Patriot League championship and second straight. Colgate earned a No. 14 seed in the NCAA tournament and ranked second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage, fifth in assists, sixth in total 3-point field goals made, and eighth in assists per game. 

The Raiders entered the 2020-21 tournament ranked among the nation’s best in several statistical categories, including No. 1 overall in 3-point field goal defense (26.4%), No. 2 in scoring offense (85.2 ppg), and No. 3 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6).

Colgate’s magical 2018-19 season finished 24-11 overall and 13-5 in the Patriot League. Langel led Colgate back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 23 years with eight straight wins to claim the Patriot League regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

Next Level Preparation
Colgate’s success under Langel has continued beyond collegiate basketball, evident by the development of more than 20 graduates who have gone on to play professionally, including recent graduates Tucker Richardson ’23, Jack Ferguson ’22, Jordan Burns ’21, Will Rayman ’20, Rapolas Ivanauskas ’20, Francisco Amiel ’19, Jordan Swopshire ’18, Jordan Robertson ’18, and Sean O’Brien ’18. 

Beyond the Court
Colgate University’s long tradition as one of the top academic universities in the country is proven year after year with the NCAA unveiling of Graduation Success Rates (GSR) and Academic Progress Rates (APR). Colgate’s GSR is annually over 95%, ranking alongside the highest-rated academic institutions in the nation. Men’s basketball continually earns public recognition from the NCAA for its multiyear APR scores.

Strength at Home
Cotterell Court has become of the toughest places to play under Langel’s guidance. Colgate capped off the 2022-23 season with its 31st consecutive home win over a Patriot League opponent. The Raiders have matched the program record for the most home wins (15) in a season three times since 2018-19. Since the start of 2018, Colgate is 80-10 in Hamilton. 

Winning Tradition
Langel was named the 20th head coach in the 114-year history of Colgate basketball on April 25, 2011. Langel came to Colgate after spending five seasons as an assistant coach at Temple University (2006-11). Langel worked under the tutelage of legendary coach Fran Dunphy, who is the all-time winningest coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history and was inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 2019. Langel was also a two-year member of Dunphy's Penn staff and helped guide his alma mater to consecutive Ivy League championships.

Playing Career
A 2000 graduate of Penn’s Wharton School of Business, Langel helped lead the Quakers to two Ivy League titles and NCAA Tournament appearances during his four-year playing career (1996-2000). The Quakers went 27-1 in Ivy League action in his junior and senior campaigns and sported a 42-14 overall record. Langel was named Ivy League and Big Five Player of the Week numerous times and received the Big Five's Most Improved Player Award. He was also named to the Holiday Festival All-Tournament team (1998) and the University of California Golden Bear Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team (1999).

Langel etched his name in the Penn record books in several different categories. He is a member of the 1,000-point club with 1,191 points in a Red and Blue uniform. He stands second all-time in Penn basketball history in three-pointers made in a game with eight, is eighth in three-pointers made in a season with 70, and fourth in career three-pointers made with 201.

Success at Every Level
Upon graduation, Langel was drafted by Atlantic City of the USBL in 2000 and worked out in the Seattle SuperSonics camp. He then went overseas to play professionally in Europe, for Chene BC in Switzerland and ALM Evreux Basket in France Pro A.

The Moorestown, N.J., native participated in the Philadelphia 76ers summer camp in 2001, but returned to Europe to play for the MBC and Hagan in German Bundesliga I. Before returning to Penn as an assistant coach, his last professional stop was with the Eiffel Towers in Holland.

Langel was also a member of the Friars Senior Society and the University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee while at Penn.

Personal 
Langel and his wife, Tara, have a daughter, Logan Anne, and two sons, Lucas and Jackson.

Coaching Career
Year School Position Record Conf. Record Conf. Finish NCAA
2004-05 Penn Assistant 20-9 13-1 1st 1st Rd.
2005-06 Penn Assistant 20-9 12-2 1st 1st Rd.
2006-07 Temple Assistant 12-18 6-10 10th ---
2007-08 Temple Assistant 21-13 11-5 T-2nd 1st Rd.
2008-09 Temple Assistant 22-12 11-5 T-2nd 1st Rd.
2009-10 Temple Assistant 29-6 14-2 1st 1st Rd.
2010-11 Temple Assistant 26-8 14-2 2nd 3rd Rd.
2011-12 Colgate Head Coach 8-22 2-12 7th ---
2012-13 Colgate Head Coach 11-21 5-9 T-6th ---
2013-14 Colgate Head Coach 13-18 6-12 7th ---
2014-15 Colgate Head Coach 16-17 12-6 2nd ---
2015-16 Colgate Head Coach 13-17 9-9 4th ---
2016-17 Colgate Head Coach 10-22 8-10 5th ---
2017-18 Colgate Head Coach 19-14 12-6 2nd ---
2018-19    Colgate Head Coach 24-11 13-5 1st 1st Rd.
2019-20 Colgate Head Coach 25-9 14-4 1st N/A
2020-21 Colgate Head Coach 14-2 11-1 2nd 1st Rd.
2021-22 Colgate Head Coach 23-12 16-2 1st 1st Rd.
2022-23 Colgate Head Coach 26-9 17-1 1st 1st Rd.
2023-24 Colgate Head Coach 25-10 16-2 1st 1st Rd.
19 yrs. 377-259 222-96