UNM great Terance Mathis named head coach at Morehouse College
Feb. 2—Terance Mathis, a two-time All-American wide receiver for New Mexico, has been hired as Morehouse College's head football coach, the program announced Friday via release.
Mathis, 56, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December after rewriting the record books in his four seasons as a Lobo. Following a successful 13-year NFL career, he has served as a high school and college coach in Georgia in addition to operating his own NASCAR team.
"We are in a season of change and enhancement within Morehouse Athletics," Morehouse College athletic director Harold Ellis said in a release. "The College is known for producing some of the most skilled and gifted professionals across all industries, and that same spirit of excellence must be established within our athletic programs. I'm excited to welcome Coach Mathis to The House and look forward to partnering with him in taking the football program to the next level."
From 1985-89, Mathis racked up 263 receptions, 4,254 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns on his way to three First-Team All-WAC selections with UNM. All three marks still stand as school records in addition to Mathis being the first Lobo to finish with over 250 career receptions, 4,000 receiving yards and 6,000 all-purpose yards.
After being drafted by the New York Jets in 1990, he signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an unrestricted free agent in 1994. The move proved to be career-altering, as Mathis spent the next eight years in Atlanta hauling in 57 receiving touchdowns and 7,349 receiving yards — including a run to Super Bowl XXXIII, where he had a three-yard touchdown reception against the Denver Broncos.
Mathis retired following the 2002 season and ventured into coaching, serving as the offensive coordinator at Savannah State University from 2011-12 and the head coach at Pinecrest Academy in Cumming, Ga.
He interviewed for UNM's head coaching position after Danny Gonzales was fired in November but wasn't offered the job. The Lobos eventually hired Bronco Mendenhall.
Morehouse College is coming off back-to-back 1-9 seasons. The Maroon Tigers have not had a winning season since 2018.
