Stonecutter Jonathan Mattox

Morehead State Coach Pounding the Rock

(St. Louis, MO) – Beginning his second year as Morehead State’s head basketball coach Jonathan Mattox is believes his job is like that of a stonecutter. Being persistent, intentional and enduring will win the day. The Eagles went 15-17 in Mattox’s first year and he has largely a new roster in year two.

He and his staff worked the portal, high schools and lower collegiate levels to build the 2025-26 roster and the Eagles have outstanding roster balance. Four freshmen are a part of a team with two significant returners, several Division 1 transfers and three other players making the step up to D1 hoops.

Mattox says it may take the stonecutter 101 swings of the hammer to cut the stone and he knows the final swing was just one in the process. After working at Morehead for nine years, he spent the last two seasons at Murray State. When his former boss and mentor Preston Spradlin left for James Madison, Mattox became a prime candidate to take over the job.

He says the first season ‘back home’ was filled with lessons learned and admits it was a little surreal returning to the Ohio Valley Conference.

While many view Mattox as laid back, he says coaches have to be able to get their point across. Learning to ‘work the officials’ is something else he had to learn. Mattox doesn’t focus on the referees, but on the job at hand.

The Stonecutter Learned From Others

While working with Spradlin and Murray State’s Prohm he learned important program-building ideas and lessons. Spradlin’s determined defense and rebounding approach is never far from his mind. Prohm’s quicker-paced offense is also a part of the Morehead playbook. Mattox is grateful for their input.

In building his staff he looks for balance and diversity. He wants coaches with different strengths and abilities to blend with one another to form a cohesive team. Mattox recently added former Racer assistant Bryan Sherrer to the staff and says one more hire is on the way.

Assistants Jason Taylor, Ben Sisson and Ky Klinsick return from last year’s staff. Taylor is the Associate Head Coach and Sisson and Klinsick are hold-overs from Spradlin’s staff.

Roster Makeup

Mattox will have great roster balance. Veteran D1 transfers will fill important roles around returners George Marshall and Anouar Mellouk. Jacob Wilson averaged 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds at Louisiana-Monroe and West Georgia transfer Tamaury Releford is a 6’9 center that averaged 7.2 points while shooting 57 percent from the floor.

Marshall and Mellouk played in virtually every game last season and will help break in the new players.

Mattox is excited about Indiana State point guard Josiah Legree and expects the 6′ Baltimore native to provide leadership and ‘plays off the bounce’.

Davion Cunningham and Chase Dawson are high-scoring D2 transfers and Jon Carroll was a junior college all-American. Carroll and SIUE’s Tyler King were outstanding players for the highly successful North Central Missouri College Pirates.

Mattox says you can find talented players at every level of college hoops.

Now his job is to be an outstanding stonecutter, helping his players walk in gratitude, toughness, cohesion, competitiveness and resiliency.

Head to YouTube to watch our entire conversation or to Valley Hoops Insider Podcasts for the audio-only version.

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