Running backs coach Matt Merritt is in his first season with the Cardinals after he was hired on 2/20/26.
He came to Arizona with 15 years of collegiate coaching experience, including the past two seasons (2024-25) coaching running backs at the University of Miami (FL). Merrit was also a two-time participant of the NFL's Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with Cincinnati (2016) and San Francisco (2019) assisting with the running backs and quarterbacks.
At Miami in 2025, Merritt helped lead the Hurricanes to a berth in the College Football National Championship game after rushing for 2,429 yards. RB Mark Fletcher Jr. was a third-team All-ACC selection after having a team-high 1,192 rushing yards and 12 TDs on 216 carries. RB CharMar Brown also added 474 yards and seven TDs on 122 carries. The Hurricanes averaged 151.8 rushing yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry to go along with 28 total TDs last season. In 2024, Miami had their first 10-win season since 2017 and led the country in points per game (43.9) and yards per game (537.2). Under his guidance, RB Damien Martinez ran for 1,002 yards and 10 TDs. As a team, Miami rushed for 2,456 total yards while averaging 188.9 yards per game and 5.7 yards per carry.
Prior to Miami, Merritt spent one season (2023) at South Florida as associate head coach/run game coordinator/running backs coach. In December of 2023, he was selected by the American Football Coaches Association for the 2024 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, a program aimed at identifying and developing premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession. During his time at South Florida, the Bulls ranked 3rd in the American Athletic Conference in total yards (2,377) and averaged 182.8 yards per game with RB Nay'Quan Wright running for 797 yards and eight TDs. South Florida ranked 17th nationally in total offense (451.6 yards per game) as QB Byrum Brown had 11 rushing TDs and 809 rushing yards.
Merritt spent the 2022 season coaching running backs at Georgia Southern, where he worked with RB Jalen White who ran for 914 yards and 10 TDs as the offense ranked 19th in the FBS in yards per game (468.8).
Merritt served as a senior offensive analyst at the University of Tennessee in 2021. The Volunteers ranked third in the SEC in total offense (6,174 yards) and second in scoring average (39.3 ppg), while the rushing attack averaged 217.8 yards per game, a nearly 80-yard per game increase from the previous season (141.5 ypg). Tennessee broke several single-season records including rushing first downs (164), total points (511) and TDs (67), finishing the season at the Music City Bowl.
Prior to Tennessee, Merritt spent two years at James Madison University (2019-20) helping the team to a 14-2 record in 2019 and an appearance in the FCS National Championship Game after the Dukes ran for 3,224 yards and 39 TDs. RB Percy Agyei-Obese earned third-team All-American and first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors after he led the conference with 1,216Â rushing yards and 19 TDs. RB Jawon Hamilton ran for 919 yards and five TDs on 168 carries and was named third-team All-CAA. JMU ranked 10th in the FCS and led the CAA with 242.9 rushing yards per game. The Dukes didn't play the 2020 season due to the COVID pandemic.
Merritt spent two seasons (2017-18) at Elon University where he coached running backs and special teams. Under his tutelage, RB Jaylan Thomas was named the CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 after he posted 761 yards and four TDs on 115 carries, leading the conference in yards per carry (6.6) and ranking second in yards per game (95.1). In 2017, RB Malcom Summers led the CAA and the FCS with 755 rushing yards and four TDs. Along with RB's De'Sean McNair and Brelynd Cypers, the team ran for 1,972 total yards and 15 TDs on their way to a FCS playoff berth. In 2016, he served as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach at Ohio Dominican University. During his lone season at Ohio Dominican, Merrit's unit ran for 1,398 yards and 16 TDs.
From 2013-15, Merritt served as the assistant running backs coach and offensive graduate assistant at Ohio State. During that stretch the Buckeyes won the 2015 National Championship, the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium and a Big Ten Championship. They also appeared in the 2014 Orange Bowl.
Before Ohio State, Merritt coached running backs and special teams at St. Charles Prepatory from 2011-12 as well as beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Capital University in 2010. Merritt played four years (2006-09) at Capital where he posted 1,099 rushing yards and 12 TDs. He received his bachelor's degree in Education from Capital in 2009 and earned a master's degree in Sport Management from Ohio State and another master's degree in Coaching Education Ohio University.
Merritt was born in Lich, Germany and lived there until moving with his family to Belgium when he was 11 years old. His father, David, hails from Detroit, MI and his mother, Vivian, is from Liberia in West Africa. The family moved to the U.S. when Matt was 16, settling in Cincinnati, OH where he attended Indian Hill High School. He has two boys, Daniel and Thomas.
