As college athletics continue to evolve, Auburn men’s basketball is keeping pace with the changing landscape by hiring a general manager — a role that’s becoming increasingly common across top programs.
Auburn officially announced the hiring of former Iowa assistant coach as the team’s new general manager. He returns to the Plains after previously serving on Bruce Pearl’s staff from 2016 to 2018. He spent the last three seasons at Iowa, where he was viewed as a rising coaching talent and even a potential candidate to take over the program’s head coaching job last year.
In his new role, he will oversee key off-court operations such as roster management, player evaluation, donor and agent relations, recruiting, scouting, and game planning — responsibilities critical in the era of NIL, the transfer portal, and rapid roster turnover.
“The key to my success has been surrounding our program with good people,” head coach Bruce Pearl said in the release. “I’ve known Matt since the day he was born, as his parents were friends of mine when I was an assistant at Iowa. Matt’s first job after his professional playing career was as a graduate assistant here at Auburn. He went off to do great things as an assistant coach and put himself in a position to potentially be named Iowa’s head coach last year. It’s great to have Matt and his family back in Auburn.”
Gatens’ hiring adds a familiar and trusted voice to Pearl’s staff as the program aims to maintain its competitive edge in the new era of college basketball.
According to his biography on the Iowa men’s basketball website, Matt Gatens played a key role in “all aspects of the program” during his time with the Hawkeyes, contributing to recruiting, opponent scouting, practices, player development, and game preparation.
In Auburn’s official release, Gatens expressed his excitement about returning to the Plains: “My family and I are thrilled for the opportunity to rejoin the Auburn Family,” he said. “Coach Pearl and his staff have built one of the most respected and successful programs in the country, and I’m honored to be a part of that winning and championship culture.”