Golden Valley’s Matt Thissen receives Model Coach Award

Golden Valley principal Kevin Swartwood remembers hiring Matt Thissen when the high school opened in 1994.

Swartwood was the Golden Valley athletic director at the time.

“The first time I met him was at East Campus because Golden Valley didn’t even have a campus then,” Swartwood said. “It was the fall of 1993. We officially hired him in the spring of ’94. My first impression of Matt was he was a good person. He was easy to talk to and he had a passion and knowledge of his sports.

“I think we were fortunate to have a high-caliber guy like him apply for the job.”

Swartwood calls the hiring of Thissen as a volleyball and girls basketball coach and Keith Hunter as a boys basketball coach two of his best hires ever.

Thissen was selected as one of six recipients of a 2015-16 Sac-Joaquin Section’s Model Coach Award, which he will be awarded during the section’s award breakfast April 19 in Lodi.

“It’s very humbling,” Thissen said. “I think when I reflect on being at Golden Valley such a long time, I think of the tremendous support I’ve received from our administration. They’ve allowed me to do what I want with the programs, which essentially meant building from the ground up.

“The assistant coaches and players I’ve had are ultimately responsible for the programs to run as smoothly as they have.”

Also receiving the Model Coach Award honor was Pitman volleyball coach Kristen Pontes-Christian, who has led the Pride to back-to-back Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championships.

The other award winners were Union Mine’s Jay Aliff, Napa’s Troy Mott, Vacaville’s Kay Nekota and Lincoln’s Elizabeth Zamora.

Thissen has been Golden Valley’s volleyball coach since the school opened. He’s compiled a 320-103 record with nine Central California Conference championships.

Thissen has coached the girls basketball team for 19 years with a 297-222 record. Golden Valley has won five CCC titles and the 2000 Division II section championship.

“Matt is a two-sport head coach, and that’s difficult,” Swartwood said. “It’s difficult enough coaching one sport. As a head coach at Buhach Colony for eight years, I have tremendous respect for a two-sport coach who has done it for 21 years. Golden Valley has been lucky to have him.

“Somehow he’s been able to keep everything in perspective. He’s the same exact guy he was 21 years ago. He’s been able to keep his intensity but still remain calm. Most coaches can’t, and when I say most coaches, I mean 99 percent of them. He’s a rare breed.”

Thissen credits his assistant coaches for helping him coach this long. They were able to pick up the slack, covering practices when the two sports overlapped.

He’s also had a supportive family.

“My wife, Teresa, has been my rock,” Thissen said. “She knew what she was getting in to. We were high school sweethearts. She was my wife when I began my coaching career. Before she said, ‘I do,’ she knew about my passion for what I do. She’s been incredibly supportive. So have my kids. I’ve had to miss games or different performances when they were in elementary school.”

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Golden Valley’s Matt Thissen receives Model Coach Award."