Samford University Athletics

Matthew Kooiman is entering his first year as the Chief of Staff for Samford Football, working closely with Head Coach Chris Hatcher. In this role, Kooiman oversees all aspects of the program and is responsible for running football operations for the Bulldogs.
 
Kooiman comes to Birmingham after spending the 2023 season on staff at Sam Houston State as the Bearkats’ Director of Football Operations. While in Huntsville, Texas, Kooiman oversaw all team operations.
 
Before his time in the Lone Star State, Kooiman spent a year as the Director of Football Operations at Norfolk State. In his role with the Spartans, he oversaw team operations, recruiting, academic and administrative duties for the Spartans.  
 
For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Kooiman was an operations and scouting assistant for Northwestern in the Big 10. His duties for the Wildcats include supporting coaching and recruiting staffs in the recruiting department.
 
He began his professional career as an Operations Assistant with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks in 2020.
 
A native of Houston, Texas, Kooiman graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois with a double major in Sports Management and Business Administration. As a football letter winner for the Tigers, he was also recognized on the Dean’s List each semester.