Longhorn Coach Al Matthews passed away on March 11, 2025.

Al Matthew makes Longhorn Sports History

Austin High in the 60s had some great high school athletes who later set many records at either the college or professional level. Don Baylor almost signed with the Longhorns but decided to play professional baseball, Ben Crenshaw set all kinds of golf records at Texas and on the professional circuit, and Al Matthews had a stellar career in the NFL.

Alvin Matthews played collegiate football at Texas A&I University, now known as Texas A&M–Kingsville. He was inducted into the Javelina Hall of Fame in 1985 and earned recognition as an NAIA All-American during his time there. The Green Bay Packers selected him in the second round of the 1970 NFL Draft.

He was enjoying a successful stint as a defensive back with the Green Bay Packers when Coach Royal asked him to join his coaching staff. Royal and Matthews worked out a deal where Al could continue his professional career and help the Horns for bowl games and during spring training. Matthews’s coaching responsibility was the wide receivers, but in 1974, he signed a long-term pro contract and gave up his hopes of coaching. “I didn’t feel any pressure at all,” Matthews said. “Darrell and I were great friends, and he had a great staff, and they were all good with it. It was a good fit.”

While still playing for the Green Bay Packers,  Al joined Darrell Royal’s football staff in 1972. Matthews primarily worked with the team during spring practices in the 1972 and 1973 seasons, which led to SWC championships. 

In 1972, Alvin Matthews entered the record books as the first African-American football coach at the University of Texas. In 1974, Al was credited with getting Graylon Wyatt from Arkansas to sign with Texas.  

Alvin Matthews was an NAIA All-American at Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville). He was enjoying a successful stint as a defensive back with the Green Bay Packers when Coach Royal asked him to join his coaching staff. Royal and Matthews worked out a deal where Al could continue his professional career and help the Horns for bowl games and during spring training. Matthews’s coaching responsibility was the wide receivers, but in 1974, he signed a long-term pro contract and gave up his hopes of coaching. “I didn’t feel any pressure at all,” Matthews said. “Darrell and I were great friends, and he had a great staff, and they were all good with it. It was a good fit.”

 Al Matthews  Gives from the Heart

In 1992, Al Matthews and the National Association of Professional Athletes (NAPA) founded the Celebrity Golf Tournament to raise funds for the Neighborhood Longhorn Program. This program is associated with the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin and is the official community service arm of Texas Athletics. It aims to help youth who experience academic difficulties in economically disadvantaged areas.

25 years later, the charity function has morphed into a tremendously successful event.  In 2017, the tournament contestants included 40 National Football Players and 160 amateur golfers.