SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Sylacauga assistant baseball coach Matt Collier has accepted the head coaching job at Lincoln High School.
Collier will replace Jeff Lumpkin as head coach of the Golden Bears.
Matt Collier’s name is well known in Sylacauga and Sylacauga High School sports. Collier graduated from SHS in 2011 where he lettered in football and baseball. He played college baseball at Talladega College before being hired by Sylacauga City Schools to teach at Pinecrest and coach football and baseball.
Collier has played a major role in the success of the Aggie baseball team the last two seasons which included state quarterfinal and semifinal appearances.
“He is exactly what a head coach looks for in an assistant,” said Jeff Bell. Bell is the head baseball coach for Sylacauga High School. “He is ambitious, came to work early every day and stayed late with the guys everyday.”
Collier was featured as the pitching coach for a rotation that had a dominating season on the rubber in 2019. “He calls a game as well as anyone I’ve ever been around,” Bell explained.
Of course Bell would love to keep Collier in the Marble City. However, he also knows Collier has worked to be a head coach and said it would be selfish to ask him to stay.
“It’s everyone’s goal to be a head coach, and we are exited for him and wish him the best.”
Bell told The Aggie Sports Network Collier will be tough to replace. “He will be missed immediately, especially this summer,” Bell said. “He knew these kids long before I did. He grew up with them. He has a relationship with these kids that the next guy will not have immediately.”
Bell said he was worked and talked with Sylacauga Athletics Director Matt Griffith about replacements, and believes they will work together to make the hire as Collier was the quarterbacks coach for Griffith’s football team.
