Following a first season at the University of Mary where the Marauders quadrupled their interception total from the previous year, Matt Splon was elevated to Co-Defensive Coordinator in February 2019. He is also the Marauders recruiting coordinator and defensive backs coach.
Splon joined the Marauders in Dec. 2017 as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator after both playing and coaching at Winona State University. In 2018, the UMary defense intercepted nine more passes than the previous year, improving from three to 12 in Splon’s first season working with the UMary backfield.
Splon spent 2015-17 coaching outside linebackers at Winona State alongside Marauders defensive coordinator Brett Holinka. In 2017 Splon helped coach the Warriors to a 10-2 mark and a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The WSU defense led the NSIC in pass efficiency defense (96.5), finished second in the NSIC in scoring defense (14.6 ppg) and takeaways (36) and allowed just 308.5 yards of offense per game. In 2016 the Warriors were 8-3 and led the NSIC in scoring defense (17.6 ppg), total defense (318.2 ypg), pass efficiency defense (99.8), forced turnovers (28) and turnover margin (+13) and was second in the league in pass defense (182.7 ypg). Splon coached LB Nick Pridgeon to a pair of all-conference honors (2nd team All-NSIC South 2017, honorable mention 2016).
As a student-athlete at Winona State, Splon was a three-time Northern Sun all-academic team selection (2011-13) and a Presidential Scholar Athlete (2011-13). He was voted by his teammates to the NSIC Leadership Council (2011-13) and was twice named the team’s most valuable special teams player (2012-13). Splon, a member of the 2012 Mineral Water Bowl championship team, was coached one season by University of Mary alumnus Marquice Williams, who is now an assistant coach in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. He graduated from Winona State in 2014 with a degree in business administration.
