Knoxville Catholic football brings back former coach Steve Matthews as offensive coordinator

Two-time state championship coach Steve Matthews will be returning to Knoxville Catholic as the football team's offensive coordinator, school president Dickie Sompayrac told Knox News.

Matthews returns to the program after resigning in 2021, a day after being arrested on drunken driving and drug possession charges. The drug possession charge was dismissed and he pled to a lesser charge of reckless endangerment on the DUI, according to online court documents.

“I think there's certainly a redemptive quality to bringing Steve back," Sompayrac said, "and, you know, we're confident that he's doing the things that he needs to do to stay in a good place.”

NEW ASSISTANT COACH AT CATHOLIC:Knoxville Catholic football adds two-time state champion Philip Shadowens as assistant coach

NEW KNOX CATHOLIC COACH:Knoxville Catholic hires Ensworth assistant Dean Cokinos as football coach

"I'm excited to be back," Matthews said. "Catholic is a great place. It just feels great to be back and excited to get to work and hopefully get this program to one be one of the top programs in the state."

Sompayrac said that after Korey Mobbs resigned after this season, a number of candidates — including new coach Dean Cokinos — mentioned Matthews as a person they would want to join their staff. Sompayrac said the program met with the football players’ parents about the decision.

“We obviously talked with a lot of people and met with Steve and sat down with Steve's wife as well and talked with them and talked with his pastor,” Sompayrac said. “We made the decision two years ago to part ways with Steve, and we think that was the right decision two years ago, yet we also believe in redemption, and I think Steve has taken some real steps to get his life back on track and we certainly believe in second chances, too.

“We're excited to have him back.”

Matthews previously had arrested for DUI in Tennessee. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Rutherford County, according to court records.

Matthews coached the Irish from 2013-20 and won state championships in 2015 and 2017. In those eight seasons, he had a 74-27 record.

Cokinos also added two-time state championship coach Philip Shadowens as an assistant. Shadowens, who won two state titles at Smyrna, has coached at William Blount and Eagleton while in the Knoxville area.

“I think for Coach Cokinos, who’s had head coaching experience but not at the high school level, his (experience) has more been arena football and NFL Europe,” Sompayrac said. "I think just having coaches on your staff with their background and their knowledge is going to be a real asset to coach Cokinos.” 

Sompayrac said that the expectations for Catholic’s upcoming season are not centered on wins or losses. 

“Our expectation is we'll be competitive but we'll do things the right way,” Sompayrac said. "Kids will have fun, kids will get better and kids will compete and really I think that's what our expectation is. But in terms of wins and losses, we don't really think of our expectations in that way.”