Edinboro Assistant Football Coach Matt Gillette Passes Away
Story Courtesy of Edinboro Sports Information
Edinboro, Pa. – Edinboro University and in particular the football staff are in mourning today with the news that assistant football coach Matt Gillette passed away unexpectedly at his home on Friday.
Gillette, 38, joined head coach Scott Browning’s staff last July as the offensive line coach. He was also working on his master’s degree in Middle and Secondary Education from Edinboro.
“We are absolutely shocked at this news,” related Browning. “I’ve known Matt for a long time and he was not only an outstanding young man but a great father and husband. He was so excited about the prospect of coaching, and we were thrilled to have him work as our offensive line coach. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He will be dearly missed.”
Gillette was in his second stint as an assistant for the Fighting Scots after previously serving on Tom Hollman’s staff as defensive line coach in 1997-98.
After a stellar career at nearby Northwestern High School where he was a three-time All-Erie County League selection and two-time All-State honoree, Gillette received a full scholarship to play at Eastern Michigan University. He would play for the Eagles from 1990-94 and then went on to play a season in the Canadian Football League.
He was a two-time All Mid-American Conference selection at offensive tackle, starting 44 games during his career. As a senior he was named a Street & Smith’s Preseason All-American and would later be named a captain for the Eagles and the team’s MVP.
The son of well-known area high school football coach John Gillette, he gained his first coaching position as an assistant coach at General McLane High School. Hollman hired him as Edinboro’s defensive line coach in June 1997. After serving with the Fighting Scots for two seasons, he would leave coaching until returning as the defensive coordinator and assistant offensive line coach at Northwestern High School for two years in 2005 and ’06. In 2007 he moved to Girard High School in the same capacities.
Gillette completed work on his bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and Earth and Space Science in 1996 from Eastern Michigan. He resided in Edinboro and is survived by his wife Kelly and daughters Meghan and Elizabeth.
Details on the funeral arrangements will be announced when available.