Taking the next step in a nearly lifelong relationship with Brentwood Academy and basketball, Matt Hoppe has been named the permanent head varsity coach of the Brentwood Academy Eagles Boys’ Basketball program.
As a young BA fan, turned student athlete in the 90s, Hoppe has served as a teacher and coach at Brentwood Academy for more than eight years and will continue to teach AP Computer Science and Geography.
Earlier this year, the 1995 graduate was named interim head coach after the retirement of 2019 TSSAA Hall of Fame inductee Hubie Smith. Smith helped lead the team to four straight TSSAA championships from 2015-2018.
Coach Hoppe says, “I want to thank Mr. Masters and Coach White for allowing me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of being the head boys’ basketball coach at Brentwood Academy, my alma mater. I’m proud of our school and our basketball program; it means a great deal to me to continue leading our program in a way the fulfills the mission of our school.”
Hoppe has more than 20 years of coaching experience at the AAU, High School, College, and International level, and was an assistant at Samford University, his college alma mater, before coaching at Union University and then University School of Jackson, where he spent six years. Hoppe lived in London, England where he started a youth basketball club as part of a Christian outreach ministry and assisted with some of England’s youth national teams. He returned to the U.S. in 2015 to take his first head coaching job at North Florida Christian School before returning to BA.
At Brentwood Academy, Hoppe has coached at each level, from middle school to junior varsity and his time as an assistant to Smith. Hoppe helped Smith coach the Eagles to two state titles with teams that included future 2019 NBA first-round draft pick (fifth overall) Darius Garland ’17.
“Matt has done an outstanding job of developing our basketball team this season and helping them navigate a late change in the head coaching position. The positive team culture and joy in playing the game is obvious in watching them perform. Brentwood Academy is proud to have Matt continue the tradition of excellence as he leads our boys’ basketball program in the years to come.” – Cody White, Brentwood Academy Athletic Director
The 2019-2020 Eagles are currently 8-2 in the region. They will take on Baylor at home this Saturday night, for round one of state quarterfinals.
