State champ now leading CCS

Matthews to rebuild Lions football as new head coach

Having helped lead Knoxville Catholic football to a state semifinal playoff appearance in his second stint at KCHS — as co-head coach in 2023 — after leading the Irish to a pair of state titles in the 2010s as head coach, Steve Matthews now is on board at Concord Christian School looking to rebuild the Lions program to varsity level by 2025. He addressed about 30 high school, middle school and elementary age CCS players in the school’s Missions Training Center when introduced as new head coach Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 19. A former NFL quarterback who was Joe Montana’s back-up while with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993 and 1994, Matthews, 53, said he was “excited” about being at CCS. “I have a belief in this place, and a lot of it is trusting those guys in the administration,” he said. Matthews also was impressed with how the junior varsity Lions handled a loss to Knoxville Catholic last fall.

During the postgame handshake, “I could tell it hurt yah ... you guys want to win,” he said. Matthews and wife, Carole, have two sons: Stephen, 13, and Lucas, 10.



Photo by Alan Sloan