Matt Conly - Women's Track and Field Coach - Bowling Green State University Athletics

Matt Conly

Title:
Assistant Track and Field Coach - Throws
Email:
mconly@bgsu.edu
Phone:
419-372-7097

Matt Conly begins his fifth season at Bowling Green State University in 2015-16 as an assistant coach for the women’s track and field program, specializing in throws.

Conly has proven to be one of the top throws coaches in the country, sending multiple athletes to the NCAA Regional preliminary meet in each of the past two years. In 2014, three Falcons competed in the hammer throw, as well as two in discus and one in shot put. In 2015, BGSU sent competitors in all three events as well. His daily instruction and coaching was instrumental to the development of Brooke Pleger as the first female three-time All-American in program history with back-to-back third place finishes at the NCAA National Championships.

Pleger broke the MAC Championship record in the hammer throw three times and finished third at the NCAA National Championships as both a junior and senior, the best finish at the meet by a BGSU women’s track and field student-athlete in the history of the program. On top of that, Kori Reiser has advanced to regionals twice in the discus and once in the hammer throw, while Makenzie Wheat has twice qualified for the meet in the shot put. Graduate Tine Perrine advanced to regionals in the hammer throw and discus in 2014.

Conly has several years of experience as an assistant and head coach on both the high school and collegiate level and is closely familiar with the Midwestern track and field community.

Most recently, Conly served as assistant track coach at West Virginia University from the fall of 2008 through the spring of 2011. While at West Virginia, Conly was part of the 2011 Big East Coaching Staff of the Year. He primarily worked with the women’s throws group and also assisted with multi-event athletes.

At WVU, Conly’s athletes ranked among the best in school history. He guided Terina Miller to school records in the weight and hammer throws and coached the top two weight and hammer throwers in school history. He also coached the number two and three discus throwers ever to compete at WVU.

Conly’s multi-sport athletes were also high achievers. Chelsea Carrier earned NCAA Indoor All-American honors in 2010 and 2011 for the pentathlon and 2011 NCAA Outdoor All-American honors for the heptathlon. She set school records in both events and won the Big East championship in the pentathlon. Conly also coached Katelyn Williams, who finished third in the Big East in the heptathlon in 2011.

Conly designed and implemented a day-to-day training program for his throwers. He also worked with strength and conditioning staff members to design weight programs. He also assisted with recruiting, team travel and other team management.

Prior to his stint at West Virginia, Conly was the head boy’s track coach at New Castle Chrysler High School in New Castle, Ind. from Jan. 2006 to June 2008. As head coach, Conly instructed his athletes in all events and developed training and practice schedules, as well as workout regimens, for 30-40 athletes. He organized meets with other schools and managed all day-to-day responsibilities associated with the program.

His teams placed second twice in Indiana state sectional meets. He had one athlete finish third at the 2006 state championship in the high jump and another place 12th at the 2007 state meet in the discus.

Conly began his coaching career as the assistant track and field coach at Muncie Central High School (Jan. 2004-June 2005) in Muncie, Ind.

Conly is a graduate of Ball State University, where he majored in physical education and health science. At BSU, Conly competed for the Cardinals’ men’s track and field squad before it was disbanded after 2003. Conly finished third in the javelin at the 2003 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships and was an NCAA Mideast Regional qualifier that year. In 2002, he finished eighth at the MAC Championships and set a BSU freshman record in the javelin. He ranks third on BSU’s all-time list.

Conly holds a USATF Level I Coaches Certification and has lent his services as a camp instructor for three years (2009-11) as instructor at the West Virginia University Track and Field Camp and the Jud Logan’s Track and Field Camp.