Feb. 12, 2015
Former Stanford assistant Marc Mattioli has joined the Commodore staff as a defensive secondary coach, Vanderbilt Head Coach Derek Mason announced today.
Mattioli, a former four-year letterwinner at Rhodes College in Memphis, joins the Vanderbilt staff after serving three years at Stanford, including two seasons with Mason as a defensive graduate assistant.
Mason said Mattioli will be responsible for mentoring Commodore safeties. Second-year defensive assistant Brett Maxie will coach Vanderbilt cornerbacks.
“Marc is one of the bright young defensive minds in college football today. I was very impressed during our time together at Stanford,” Mason said. “Marc also has great command of our defense and truly understands my expectations for how the Vanderbilt defense should perform.”
Mattioli was a defensive quality control assistant for the Cardinal secondary in 2014, focusing his efforts on the Stanford secondary. In 2012-13, he served as a defensive graduate assistant at Stanford, helping Mason as a defensive backs and safeties mentor.
In 2014, Stanford finished second nationally in scoring defense, third in total defense, and eighth in passing defense. The Cardinal did not allow a touchdown pass in five games, and permitted just one score via the pass in four other games. The Stanford defense also posted as many interceptions (12) as touchdown passes allowed.
The 2014 Cardinal secondary was led senior strong safety Jordan Richards with three interceptions and three forced fumbles. A first team All-Pac 12 selection as a senior, Richards also was awarded the 2014 National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Award. Richards finished with nine career interceptions.
Mattioli also worked with highly ranked Stanford defenses as a graduate assistant in 2012 and 2013. The Cardinal ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense during a run to the Rose Bowl in 2013, and led the Pac-12 in scoring defense and total defense 2012 campaign that included another Rose Bowl appearance and conference title.
Mattioli has strong ties to the South. Prior to joining the Stanford staff, Mattioli served two seasons as the defensive line coach for LaGrange College southwest of Atlanta.
Mattioli played tight end as a freshman at Rhodes College before transitioning to the defensive line for his final three campaigns. He served as team captain as a senior in 2008, and was part of the 2006 Rhodes defense that ranked fifth nationally.
He earned Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic honors four times. Mattioli was the National Foundation and College Hall of Fame Outstanding Student-Athlete Award recipient for Rhodes and was an all-SCAC choice in 2006 and 2008.
Mattioli graduated from Rhodes with a degree in political science. He earned a master’s degree from LaGrange College and was working toward another postgraduate degree in liberal arts at Stanford.
