Top of their game: New head coaches Allie Matters, Ryan Pedon aim to elevate Redbirds

Still running on adrenaline from coaching Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament two days prior while simultaneously beginning his new role as Illinois State’s head men’s basketball coach, Ryan Pedon paused to chat with a new colleague who was on a similarly chaotic ride—newly hired head volleyball coach Allie Matters.

Standing on the Redbird Arena concourse during Pedon’s first day in the office, the two “new kids on the block,” as Matters puts it, reflected on what had been and undoubtedly would continue to be a whirlwind for the two coaches hired in early March.

“We had a really great conversation about everything—What’s going on in practice and our rosters and, ‘How do you like the area? Have you bought a house yet?’” Matters said. “Our conversation was really down to earth. You could tell that we were both going through a time where everything’s kind of wild.”

Matters spent the previous four seasons as the head coach at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She led the Raider volleyball program to two NCAA Tournament appearances, two Horizon League regular season championships and a Horizon League Tournament title. She replaced Leah Johnson who left Illinois State after five seasons to become head coach at Michigan State University.

Pedon is a longtime standout assistant with two decades of coaching experience. He spent the past five seasons at Ohio State University where he helped guide the Buckeyes to five NCAA Tournament appearances. He replaced Dan Muller ’98, who was head coach for 10 seasons.

As a first-time head coach, Pedon queried Matters about her experience overseeing a program. “I was asking her some philosophy questions and about things that she’s focused on early as she takes over a head coaching position. She’s done this before,” Pedon said.

Pedon’s and Matters’ engaging and collaborative personalities struck second-year Director of Athletics Kyle Brennan as he oversaw simultaneous head coaching searches that generated quality candidates—60 for men’s basketball and 30 for volleyball.

“There were some really good candidates in both pools, and it was tough to make a decision,” Brennan said, adding that search committee members “just had this feeling that these are the two people who fit Illinois State.”

Ryan Pedon

Basketball has been part of Pedon’s fabric since as far back as he can remember. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, he recalls coming home to see his father putting the finishing touches on a newly installed basketball hoop.

“I’d play in the driveway with my dad, and that’s where I learned the game. Ever since, it’s been one speed for me in this sport,” said Pedon, who became a three-year letterwinner at the College of Wooster where he helped the Fighting Scots to three NCAA Division III Basketball Tournaments. As a sophomore, Pedon determined that he would pursue a career in coaching.

He started as a graduate assistant at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he taught basketball and golf classes and volunteered in the men’s basketball office. After paying rent and utilities, he was left with a couple hundred dollars a month. He remembers leaving a supermarket empty handed after realizing he had already exhausted his small monthly stipend.

From there, Pedon was hired as the director of basketball operations at Kent State University, a job that required long hours and involved assisting with nearly everything from managing team travel to coordinating the practice schedule. To make ends meet during his three-year stint, he worked study tables for $20 a night and sold home security systems.

“Looking back, I think that was beneficial,” Pedon said. “It’s the same thing we preach to our players—going through tough stuff reveals your character and what’s inside of you. I was appreciative for those experiences.”

Pedon returned to Miami for his first assistant coaching position (2005-2010). From there, he served as an assistant at the University of Toledo (2010-2013), as an assistant to the head coach at the University of Illinois (2013-2015), as an assistant at Butler (2015-2017), and most recently as an assistant at Ohio State (2017-2022). When Pedon learned about Illinois State’s head coaching vacancy, he knew it was a job he would love.

“I’ve always said I wanted to coach at a place where I can coach to my convictions and where I can recruit and attract the kinds of players that I want to be around and build my program with on a daily basis,” Pedon said. “For me, this was a real fit.”

It became apparent to Brennan early in the search process that Pedon would indeed be the best fit. 

“There’s something about Ryan that’s genuine, and his value system that we talked about extensively really mirrors mine,” Brennan said. “He believes in recruiting the right student-athletes, recruiting locally, having discipline on his team, but also having the ability to really build strong relationships with his players.”

Brennan offered Pedon the head coaching position in a Columbus hotel conference room. 

“It was a rush,” Pedon said. “It felt like a culmination of 21 years all into one moment, and I got a little choked up.” He called his wife, Stephanie, and 9-year-old son, Maddox, who hurried over to hear the news in person. “It was a moment that I’ll never forget, sharing that with my family and watching their reactions.”

For 16 days, Pedon balanced his assistant coaching duties with his new head coaching job. Two days after Ohio State bowed out of the NCAA Tournament, Pedon arrived in Normal ready to begin working toward the 2022-2023 Redbird season.

“I want this program to be the standard of excellence on this campus and in our conference,” Pedon said. “I came here to win championships. My goal is to build a program for sustained success, and this is a place that you can do that. It all starts with the players you have in that locker room and what they’re made of.”

During his introductory press conference, Pedon said he and his staff will prioritize recruiting players from Illinois and the Midwest, which he called a “breadbasket” of rich talent within a 200-mile radius of Normal.

“I have strong beliefs that there is nothing more important in recruiting than finding talented players who fit our system, our culture, and our values,” said Pedon, who wants the Redbirds to play a fast-paced attacking offensive style that emphasizes ball and player movement and values efficiency. 

Defensively, Pedon said his team will be tough and physical. They will protect the paint and force opponents to shoot over them, not around them. They will also play with a sense of pride.

“I want guys who play here to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” Pedon said. “I want to attract guys that the name on the front of their jersey—Illinois State—means something to them. That’s the kind of stuff that builds a championship level program.”

Allie Matters

Standing at mid-court holding her framed Seton Hall jersey, surrounded by family on Senior Night, Matters felt empty.

“It’s so definite. You’re just done,” Matters said. As the starting libero, she racked up numerous records and led the Pirates to their first Big East Championship appearance in 15 years while studying in New Jersey.

A business marketing major who had considered a career in pharmaceutical sales, Matters decided in that moment that her collegiate playing career may be over but she wasn’t done with volleyball.

A few months later, she became a graduate assistant coach for the Canisius College volleyball program in Buffalo, New York. To supplement her small stipend, Matters worked fulltime in the athletics laundry room across the street from her apartment.

“I remember my alarm going off at like five in the morning. I’m like, ‘Oh, I gotta put the baseball pants in,’” Matters said. “I would run over there, switch the laundry, and then go back to bed. So the graduate assistantship wasn’t all great, but it was a really good experience for me.” It solidified her decision to pursue the profession. 

After completing her two-year assistantship, Matters returned to Seton Hall to serve as an assistant for seven seasons (2011-2017) before being named head coach in 2018 at Wright State. She led the Raiders from the bottom of the Horizon League to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years.

Administrators across the country took notice. Matters began getting calls for open head coaching positions, but nothing was appealing until she heard from Illinois State Senior Deputy Director of Athletics Leanna Bordner.

“There was always a reason that stopped me from pursuing other opportunities. Illinois State was one of those jobs that felt right,” Matters said, noting it checked all of her boxes. These include being in the Midwest—a hotbed for volleyball talent and within driving distance of her and her fiancé’s family; being in the nationally respected Missouri Valley Conference, with two or more Valley volleyball teams making the NCAA Tournament in five of the past seven years; and Illinois State’s commitment to and investment in women’s athletics programs.

“It’s one thing to say, ‘We have a volleyball program,’ but it’s another thing to say, ‘We genuinely care and fund our volleyball program the way it deserves,’” Matters said. “That was a big box that Illinois State checked for me.”

Matters was a match for Brennan’s checklist as well. He wanted a volleyball coach who could take an already successful Redbird program with four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances to the next level. 

“Allie is very engaging and cares about her players,” Brennan said. “I could tell that she has a genuine relationship with her team and the right balance of discipline and care. Her energy is unmatched, but don’t let her niceness fool you. She has a fire under there. She’s passionate and she’s competitive.”

Accepting the position was an “amazing moment” for Matters, quickly followed by moving to Normal, meeting her new team, and beginning spring practice. Before any assistant coaches were on staff, Matters spent a few weeks handling everything. When the Redbirds traveled to spring scrimmages, Matters made the travel itinerary, booked the bus, packed snacks, and coordinated food—on top of coaching duties.

“I wanted my team to see that I can do this,” Matters said. “I don’t want to do this by myself, but I can run things solo for a little bit to make sure I find staff who are a good fit for the program.”

Shortly thereafter, Matters hired two assistant coaches and a director of volleyball operations. With her staff in place and her team’s roster set, Matters is eager for first serve of the 2022 season.

“We’re going to do the little things that make us extraordinary,” Matters said during her introductory press conference. “Fans will leave a match, like they already do, saying that this team looks like they’re having so much fun and they genuinely love each other. We’ll be gritty, we’ll be passionate, and we’re going to be competitive as hell.”

The future of Redbird Athletics

As Brennan made his first head coaching hires, he sought guidance from two Redbird legends: hall of fame men’s basketball player Doug Collins ’73 and hall of fame volleyball coach and longtime administrator Dr. Linda Herman, M.S. ’72, Ed.D. ’83. 

“I learned a lot from them about their view historically of what we are as a department, what we’ve been, and where we can go,” said Brennan, who credits President Terri Goss Kinzy for being “engaged in, trusting, and supportive of” the hiring process.

With Matters and Pedon in place, Brennan said he feels confident about the future of Redbird Athletics.

“It’s never easy to hire new head coaches but at the same time, it’s an opportunity to get better,” Brennan said. “We’re really excited for Allie to build on the success we’ve had in volleyball, and for Ryan to bring us to where we should be in men’s basketball and where we’ve been before.”