Wenatchee Bighorns name Matt Riley as head coach for 2025 TBL season

Wenatchee Bighorns Coach Matt Riley

COURTESY OF WENATCHEE BIGHORNS

WENATCHEE — The Wenatchee Bighorns have named Matt Riley as their head coach for the upcoming 2025 season, team owner Shawn Cooprider announced Monday.

Riley joins the Bighorns from the Mississippi Silverbacks of the American Basketball Association (ABA), where he led the team to a divisional championship and earned South Region Coach of the Year honors in his debut season as head coach.

"Matthew is the perfect fit for the Bighorns and our vision to enhance our community through a fun and exciting product on the court and thoughtful service to our community off the court," Cooprider said in a statement.

The appointment comes just a week after the Bighorns secured Wenatchee Valley College as their home court for the 2025 season, which runs from March through June.

Riley, who has quickly made a name for himself in professional basketball, brings a strong background in player development. At 19, he became the youngest assistant coach in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) history when East Central Community College hired him in 2020.

“Coaching in the TBL is a great opportunity,” said Riley, “but having the chance to coach the Wenatchee Bighorns makes the opportunity even greater. Our goal is to win basketball games and to also win in the community.”

Coach Riley's resume includes assistant coaching positions at Southwest Mississippi Community College and Clinton Christian Academy, where he contributed to a state championship victory in the 2023-24 season.

Riley's hiring marks a new chapter for the Bighorns as they prepare for the 2025 TBL season. The team competes in the professional minor league, which has been expanding its presence across North America since its founding in 2018.