HAMPTON, Va. (Sept. 3, 2025) … Hampton University head men's lacrosse coach Vincent Culpepper announced on Wednesday the hiring of Rick Matthews as the newest member of his first coaching staff.

"We are thrilled to welcome Rick to our staff. From our very first conversation, it was clear that Rick is the perfect fit to elevate our offense and culture. He brings a wealth of knowledge, proven experience, and a hard work ethic that aligns perfectly with the vision of Hampton Lacrosse," said Culpepper. "Rick's leadership, creativity, and energy will make an immediate impact on our program. We are excited to have him join the Pirate family and help us Shock the World."

Matthews joins the Pirate family after being on the staff at St. Paul's Schools for the last 14 seasons coaching at the varsity, JV and middle school levels for the prep school in Brooklandville, Md. He led skill development and game preparation for the teams and was recognized as the 2023 Phorr Teacher and Coach of the Year.

"I am truly honored and thrilled for the opportunity to join Coach Culpepper in building a dynamic and competitive offense. Our focus will be on developing the necessary skills that allow our student-athletes to maximize their talents and athleticism, and to display the true potential of Pirates Lacrosse at the Division I level," Matthews said.

Matthews is a 2000 graduate of Limestone College, Gaffney, S.C., where he was a member of an NCAA Division II national championship team while earning first-team All-America honors as a midfielder in his senior season and honorable mention All-America status in his junior season.

After graduating from Limestone, Matthews played professionally for the Ottawa Rebels of the National Lacrosse League.

Following his playing career, Matthews stayed on as an assistant coach at Limestone, helping to guide the program to a Division II national runner-up finish in 2001, before moving on to Washington & Lee where he was the offensive coordinator for two seasons under Hall of Fame Coach Mike Cerino. His 2002 team at W&L won the ODAC Championship.

From Washington & Lee, he moved to becoming a head coach at Seton Hill University where he took charge of both the men's and women's start-up programs for the NCAA Division II school for two seasons.

After Seton Hill, he went into the prep school ranks in Maryland coaching at Friends School of Baltimore from 2007-10.

In that time he was also head coach and program director of the Rock Lacrosse Club from 2005-18 where he designed progressive curriculum, developed coaches, and trained players for elite-level competition. He also contributed to the development of the US Lacrosse CEP trainer program.