Matthew Graves

Matthew Graves (born November 9, 1974) is an American college basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach at Indiana State University. He was previously the head coach at the University of South Alabama.

Graves grew up playing basketball with his three brothers in the small town of Switz City, Indiana. He played college basketball for the Butler Bulldogs from 1993 to 1998. Graves was selected as the team's most valuable player for the 1997–98 season after leading Butler to the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year. He also made the All-Horizon Tournament team and GTE Academic All-District team that year. After college, Graves served on the coaching staff of two high school teams before joining the Butler staff in 2001. In 2010, he was promoted to associate head coach under Brad Stevens. Graves was listed as one of the top assistant coaches in college basketball on multiple occasions prior to his promotion to head coach.

Early life Matthew Graves is the son of Rick and Melonie Graves. One of four children, all boys, Graves grew up in the small town of Switz City, Indiana (population 311). "A big night in Switz City is probably going to the local movie theater, then to McDonald's," remarked Graves.

Two of Graves' three brothers, A. J. and Andrew, also played basketball for Butler. In 1997, he was part of the first Butler team to make the NCAA Tournament in 35 years.

Graves was named to the GTE Academic All-District team for the 1997–98 season. He continued to work his way up the coaching ranks at Butler, becoming associate head coach under Brad Stevens in 2010.

In 2008, Fox Sports listed Graves as one of the Top 10 Mid-Major Assistants. Graves expects South Alabama to be competitive from day one. "We're here next year to compete for a championship," he told his players upon accepting the job. "This is a process where we’re going to have sustained success, starting next year. That is the goal from Day 1." A month later, on April 14, Graves was hired as an assistant coach for the Evansville men's basketball team under head coach Walter McCarty. Graves was joined on the staff by his former head coach at Butler, Todd Lickliter, who also became an assistant at Evansville. In August 2019, Graves was hired as a special assistant to Travis Steele at Xavier.

On October 20, 2025, before the start of the season, Indiana State announced that Graves, who had become their head basketball coach, would require triple bypass surgery and was taking medical leave. Associate head coach Mark Slessinger will be interim head coach.

Coaching philosophy When asked about what he would want in a head coaching position, Graves said "It's about establishing a culture. It's not [about] a recruiting quick fix. Establishing a program built on character and values is much more important to me than trying to figure out a quick way to win." Graves said the offensive plan would change year-to-year based on player skill sets. He added that he will expect maximum hustle from his players at all times.

Head coaching record

Personal life Graves is married to Susan Graves and has two daughters – Abigail and Lillian.