University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Baseball
Deggs, Matt
Matt Deggs
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- Coachdeggs28@louisiana.edu
- Phone:
- (337) 482-5191
Matt Deggs begins his sixth season as the leader of Louisiana Baseball after being announced as the head coach on July 18, 2019.
Replacing his mentor and Hall of Fame head coach Tony Robichaux in 2019, Deggs restored the legacy of the Ragin' Cajuns program in 2022 with a Sun Belt Conference title and the 17th all-time appearance in the NCAA Regionals. Louisiana's 37 wins in 2022 was its most since a 43-21 mark in 2016 when the Ragin' Cajuns hosted its second NCAA Regional in three seasons.
Since then, Deggs has continued to guide Louisiana's trek back to national prominence on the diamond with back-to-back 40-win seasons, two more regional appearances and the 2024 Sun Belt Conference regular-season title.
Under Deggs' leadership, Louisiana posted a 42-20 record in 2024, winning 16 consecutive games in the process while opening SBC play with a 14-1 record. The Ragin' Cajuns, led on the field by consensus All-American Kyle DeBarge, finished as one of the top offensive teams in the nation while leading the league in both batting average (.301) and ERA (4.48).
DeBarge became the highest pick in school history when the Minnesota Twins selected him 33rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. He joined Kansas City Royals prospects Carson Roccaforte (a 2023 Competitive Balance B pick) and LP Langevin (a 2024 fourth-round pick) as Louisiana selections in the top five rounds of the MLB Draft.
The Ragin' Cajuns returned to the postseason in 2023 and eclipsed the 40-win mark for the first time since 2016 after posting a 41-24 record. The 2023 squad was a record-setting one as Louisiana established single-season, school records for stolen bases (166) and fielding percentage (.982). Five players swiped 20 or more bases on the year with Heath Hood becoming the first Cajun since 2000 to steal 30+ on the season. The Ragin' Cajuns earned four wins over top-10 ranked opponents during the season, with three coming against Coastal Carolina and an 8-5 victory at No.1-ranked and eventual national champion LSU.
Deggs, the architect of the Ragin' Cajuns "Pack" offense from 2012-14, guided one of Division I's top teams which was second nationally in triples (28) and fifth in triples per game (0.47) in 2022. The Ragin' Cajuns also razed havoc on the bases as its 138 stolen bases were the most since a then school-record tying 145 in 1991 and 2002. Three players - Carson Roccaforte, Tyler Robertson and Max Marusak - each swiped 20-plus bases during the season while Hood and DeBarge stole 19 and 16 respectively.
Defensively, the Ragin' Cajuns led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked among the top-50 teams nationally in earned run average (4.24), double plays (51) and double plays per game (0.85).
Deggs took over the helm after the sudden passing of Robichaux in July of 2019 and guided Louisiana to an 8-9 record in a 2020 season which was shortened due to Covid-19. After a full return to the diamond in 2021, Deggs led Louisiana to a 32-23 record and the Sun Belt Conference West Division title.
Deggs, a Texas City, Texas native, previously coached at Louisiana as an assistant under Robichaux and was part of a 2014 team which finished 58-10 overall and was a consensus No. 1-ranked team. After the conclusion of the historic 2014 season, Deggs departed Louisiana to become the head coach at Sam Houston State where he has spent the last five seasons.
At Sam Houston State Deggs, posted an outstanding record of 187-118 (.613) with Southland Conference regular season championships in three of the last four seasons. Deggs also guided the Bearkats to a Super Regional in 2017, becoming the first-ever Southland program to accomplish the feat.
Deggs led Sam Houston State to NCAA Tournament berths in two out of five seasons (2016, 2017), and claimed at least one conference title over four-straight seasons. Sam Houston State (42-22, 24-6) won both the regular season and tournament title in 2016 en route to an NCAA Regional, coincidentally in Lafayette. Deggs’ 2017 squad broke the 40-win barrier again, posting a record of 44-23, 19-11. The 2017 group won 12-of-13 games to close the season to secure the school’s first-ever Super Regional berth in Tallahassee, Florida.
Sam Houston State’s 2017 group finished ranked in all six national polls, checking in at No. 14 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 16 (NCBWA), No. 18 (D1 Baseball), No. 19 (USA Today Coaches), No. 20 (Baseball America) and No. 22 (Perfect Game).
Deggs’ the final two squads at Sam Houston State earned Southland regular season crowns where the Bearkats went 39-20, 24-6 in 2018, and followed with a 31-25, 20-10 record in 2019.
Development of student-athletes was a constant under Deggs’ watch of the Sam Houston State program. In his five seasons, a total of 16 Bearkats were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.
Crediting Robichaux for resurrecting his coaching career, Deggs was brought onto the Ragin’ Cajuns staff during the 2012 season as an assistant coach, specializing as hitting coach and third base coach, while also overseeing team personnel and recruiting.
Louisiana made significant waves during Deggs’ stint as an assistant coach, including student-athletes receiving 15 All-Sun Belt honors, three All-America accolades and two Freshman All-America nods. Plus, former Louisiana standout Blake Trahan earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and became the program’s first-ever Team USA member.
The 2014 season was a special one at Louisiana for many reasons. Not only was Cajun nation ignited around its top-ranked baseball program, but it was the winningest season in school history. Louisiana also won the conference regular season title with its 26-4 mark in league play, and began a run of three consecutive Sun Belt tournament titles (2014, 2015, 2016).
The No. 1 ranking that Louisiana earned in 2014 was the second time a program that Deggs was a member of a team which ascended to the top spot in the national polls. During his time with Texas A&M (2006-10), the 2009 squad achieved the school’s first-ever preseason national No. 1 ranking.
The Aggies produced two Big 12 Players of the Year, nine All-Americans and 15 First-Team All-Big 12 performers during Deggs’ time with the program. Texas A&M won back-to-back Big 12 titles in 2007 and 2008. Deggs’ five-year stretch with Texas A&M saw the program go from posting a sub-.500 record in 2006 to reaching back-to-back NCAA Super Regionals in 2007 and 2008. Deggs assisted the Aggies to two Big 12 Tournament crowns (2007, 2010) and one regular season title (2008).
Prior to coaching the Aggies, Deggs served as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Arkansas for Dave Van Horn from 2003-05. Deggs provided instruction to three Razorbacks who earned all-conference recognition, as well as three Freshman All-Americans. The Razorbacks claimed both the SEC Championship and booked a trip to the College World Series in 2004.
Deggs first received experience as a head coach at Texarkana College for five seasons (1998-2002), compiling a sound record of 187-100. The squad claimed two Texas Eastern Athletic Conference runners-up finishes, a pair of TEAC titles (2001, 2002) and the school’s first-ever trip to Junior College World Series.
Developing and recruiting talented young men was a staple of Deggs’, even early on in his coaching career, as he brought future MLB All-Star Hunter Pence to Texarkana as a former high school standout from Arlington, Texas.
Deggs spent the 1996 and 1997 seasons as the hitting and infield coach at Northwestern State under Van Horn, assisting the Demons to the Southland Conference title in 1997. His infield units ranked among the top infield groups in the country for both seasons.
During his own playing career, Deggs was an infielder for Alvin Junior College from 1991-92 and at Northwood University from 1993-94. Deggs earned a Master’s degree from Northwestern State in 1996.
Deggs followed his college career with a turn in the professional ranks, playing three years for the Mobile (Ala.) Baysharks and the Tennessee Tomahawks, two of which were spent as a player/coach under former Boston Red Sox manager Butch Hobson and former Red Sox catcher Mike O’Berry.
Deggs is married to the former Kathy Saldua and the couple has a son, Kyler, and two daughters, Klaire and Khloe.
Replacing his mentor and Hall of Fame head coach Tony Robichaux in 2019, Deggs restored the legacy of the Ragin' Cajuns program in 2022 with a Sun Belt Conference title and the 17th all-time appearance in the NCAA Regionals. Louisiana's 37 wins in 2022 was its most since a 43-21 mark in 2016 when the Ragin' Cajuns hosted its second NCAA Regional in three seasons.
Since then, Deggs has continued to guide Louisiana's trek back to national prominence on the diamond with back-to-back 40-win seasons, two more regional appearances and the 2024 Sun Belt Conference regular-season title.
Under Deggs' leadership, Louisiana posted a 42-20 record in 2024, winning 16 consecutive games in the process while opening SBC play with a 14-1 record. The Ragin' Cajuns, led on the field by consensus All-American Kyle DeBarge, finished as one of the top offensive teams in the nation while leading the league in both batting average (.301) and ERA (4.48).
DeBarge became the highest pick in school history when the Minnesota Twins selected him 33rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. He joined Kansas City Royals prospects Carson Roccaforte (a 2023 Competitive Balance B pick) and LP Langevin (a 2024 fourth-round pick) as Louisiana selections in the top five rounds of the MLB Draft.
The Ragin' Cajuns returned to the postseason in 2023 and eclipsed the 40-win mark for the first time since 2016 after posting a 41-24 record. The 2023 squad was a record-setting one as Louisiana established single-season, school records for stolen bases (166) and fielding percentage (.982). Five players swiped 20 or more bases on the year with Heath Hood becoming the first Cajun since 2000 to steal 30+ on the season. The Ragin' Cajuns earned four wins over top-10 ranked opponents during the season, with three coming against Coastal Carolina and an 8-5 victory at No.1-ranked and eventual national champion LSU.
Deggs, the architect of the Ragin' Cajuns "Pack" offense from 2012-14, guided one of Division I's top teams which was second nationally in triples (28) and fifth in triples per game (0.47) in 2022. The Ragin' Cajuns also razed havoc on the bases as its 138 stolen bases were the most since a then school-record tying 145 in 1991 and 2002. Three players - Carson Roccaforte, Tyler Robertson and Max Marusak - each swiped 20-plus bases during the season while Hood and DeBarge stole 19 and 16 respectively.
Defensively, the Ragin' Cajuns led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked among the top-50 teams nationally in earned run average (4.24), double plays (51) and double plays per game (0.85).
Deggs took over the helm after the sudden passing of Robichaux in July of 2019 and guided Louisiana to an 8-9 record in a 2020 season which was shortened due to Covid-19. After a full return to the diamond in 2021, Deggs led Louisiana to a 32-23 record and the Sun Belt Conference West Division title.
Deggs, a Texas City, Texas native, previously coached at Louisiana as an assistant under Robichaux and was part of a 2014 team which finished 58-10 overall and was a consensus No. 1-ranked team. After the conclusion of the historic 2014 season, Deggs departed Louisiana to become the head coach at Sam Houston State where he has spent the last five seasons.
At Sam Houston State Deggs, posted an outstanding record of 187-118 (.613) with Southland Conference regular season championships in three of the last four seasons. Deggs also guided the Bearkats to a Super Regional in 2017, becoming the first-ever Southland program to accomplish the feat.
Deggs led Sam Houston State to NCAA Tournament berths in two out of five seasons (2016, 2017), and claimed at least one conference title over four-straight seasons. Sam Houston State (42-22, 24-6) won both the regular season and tournament title in 2016 en route to an NCAA Regional, coincidentally in Lafayette. Deggs’ 2017 squad broke the 40-win barrier again, posting a record of 44-23, 19-11. The 2017 group won 12-of-13 games to close the season to secure the school’s first-ever Super Regional berth in Tallahassee, Florida.
Sam Houston State’s 2017 group finished ranked in all six national polls, checking in at No. 14 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 16 (NCBWA), No. 18 (D1 Baseball), No. 19 (USA Today Coaches), No. 20 (Baseball America) and No. 22 (Perfect Game).
Deggs’ the final two squads at Sam Houston State earned Southland regular season crowns where the Bearkats went 39-20, 24-6 in 2018, and followed with a 31-25, 20-10 record in 2019.
Development of student-athletes was a constant under Deggs’ watch of the Sam Houston State program. In his five seasons, a total of 16 Bearkats were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.
Crediting Robichaux for resurrecting his coaching career, Deggs was brought onto the Ragin’ Cajuns staff during the 2012 season as an assistant coach, specializing as hitting coach and third base coach, while also overseeing team personnel and recruiting.
Louisiana made significant waves during Deggs’ stint as an assistant coach, including student-athletes receiving 15 All-Sun Belt honors, three All-America accolades and two Freshman All-America nods. Plus, former Louisiana standout Blake Trahan earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and became the program’s first-ever Team USA member.
The 2014 season was a special one at Louisiana for many reasons. Not only was Cajun nation ignited around its top-ranked baseball program, but it was the winningest season in school history. Louisiana also won the conference regular season title with its 26-4 mark in league play, and began a run of three consecutive Sun Belt tournament titles (2014, 2015, 2016).
The No. 1 ranking that Louisiana earned in 2014 was the second time a program that Deggs was a member of a team which ascended to the top spot in the national polls. During his time with Texas A&M (2006-10), the 2009 squad achieved the school’s first-ever preseason national No. 1 ranking.
The Aggies produced two Big 12 Players of the Year, nine All-Americans and 15 First-Team All-Big 12 performers during Deggs’ time with the program. Texas A&M won back-to-back Big 12 titles in 2007 and 2008. Deggs’ five-year stretch with Texas A&M saw the program go from posting a sub-.500 record in 2006 to reaching back-to-back NCAA Super Regionals in 2007 and 2008. Deggs assisted the Aggies to two Big 12 Tournament crowns (2007, 2010) and one regular season title (2008).
Prior to coaching the Aggies, Deggs served as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Arkansas for Dave Van Horn from 2003-05. Deggs provided instruction to three Razorbacks who earned all-conference recognition, as well as three Freshman All-Americans. The Razorbacks claimed both the SEC Championship and booked a trip to the College World Series in 2004.
Deggs first received experience as a head coach at Texarkana College for five seasons (1998-2002), compiling a sound record of 187-100. The squad claimed two Texas Eastern Athletic Conference runners-up finishes, a pair of TEAC titles (2001, 2002) and the school’s first-ever trip to Junior College World Series.
Developing and recruiting talented young men was a staple of Deggs’, even early on in his coaching career, as he brought future MLB All-Star Hunter Pence to Texarkana as a former high school standout from Arlington, Texas.
Deggs spent the 1996 and 1997 seasons as the hitting and infield coach at Northwestern State under Van Horn, assisting the Demons to the Southland Conference title in 1997. His infield units ranked among the top infield groups in the country for both seasons.
During his own playing career, Deggs was an infielder for Alvin Junior College from 1991-92 and at Northwood University from 1993-94. Deggs earned a Master’s degree from Northwestern State in 1996.
Deggs followed his college career with a turn in the professional ranks, playing three years for the Mobile (Ala.) Baysharks and the Tennessee Tomahawks, two of which were spent as a player/coach under former Boston Red Sox manager Butch Hobson and former Red Sox catcher Mike O’Berry.
Deggs is married to the former Kathy Saldua and the couple has a son, Kyler, and two daughters, Klaire and Khloe.
Matt Deggs Media Availability (May 12, 2025)
Monday, May 12
Matt Deggs Media Availability (May 4, 2025)
Monday, May 05
Beyond The Bases - Louisiana Baseball - Episode 4
Friday, May 02
Matt Deggs Media Availability (April 28, 2025)
Monday, April 28
