Bio

Matt Koenigs is one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of Everett Community College athletics. In only a decade at EvCC, he transformed struggling programs into national contenders and built a legacy defined by competitive excellence, opportunity, and service to student-athletes.

When Koenigs took over the EvCC cross country program in 2006, the program had recently been restarted after a decades-long hiatus caused by budget cuts that ended the original program in 1985. The men’s and women’s teams frequently struggled to field scoring rosters and had not finished higher than second-to-last at the NWAC Championships. Koenigs set out to build a destination program—and succeeded beyond expectation.

Under his leadership, EvCC rose rapidly to national prominence. His teams captured five NWAC Cross Country Championships (two men’s, three women’s), along with two combined NWAC titles in 2011 and 2012, accounting for seven NWAC championships overall. From 2007–2013, Koenigs’ men’s and women’s cross country teams finished on the NWAC podium every season, making EvCC the only program in the conference to accomplish that feat during that seven-year span. In nine seasons coaching cross country at EvCC, his teams earned 15 total podium finishes. Since the NWAC formed in 1970, only two other championships have been won at EvCC across all nine sports combined. In the conference’s 55-year history, Koenigs stands as EvCC’s all-time winningest coach, measured by Regional Championships, NWAC Championships, and podium finishes at the NWAC meet.

At the regional level, Koenigs’ dominance was unmatched. After restarting the NWAC Regional Championship meet as meet director in 2007, his teams never lost a regional title. Across his tenures at EvCC and a single season as an assistant at Edmonds College, he compiled an 18–0 record at the regional championship meet, including 16–0 at EvCC.

Koenigs’ teams were not only champions but national leaders. In 2011 (men) and 2012 (women), EvCC recorded the fastest team times (top five runners) of any junior college program in the nation, establishing the Trojans as a premier destination for distance runners from across the United States. His athletes earned 18 individual NWAC titles, 73 All-American performances, and nine NCAA Division I placements, reflecting both competitive success and athlete development.

Koenigs was named NWAC Coach of the Year six times and received EvCC’s Associated Staff of the Year Award in 2010. He was known for building inclusive, demanding, and joyful team cultures that emphasized academic success alongside athletic excellence.

Koenigs graduated from the University of Washington School of Law and passed the Washington State Bar, but following the tragic loss of his father—and the earlier loss of his sister—he made the life-altering decision to step away from the legal profession. Guided by a lesson his father had always emphasized—use your talents to better others and strengthen your community—Koenigs chose to dedicate his life to coaching and education. Everett Community College became the natural place to build that legacy.

Beyond EvCC, Koenigs served as Director of Athletics and Head Coach at Trinity Lutheran College, where he built cross country and track & field programs from the ground up, guided the college’s transition into the NAIA, and led teams to national top-10 finishes despite limited resources and enrollment. He has also coached at Edmonds College and founded the Bryant Bandits Track Club, extending his impact to youth athletes in the local community.

A USATF Certified Coach, former district champion, and six-time USAT All-American triathlete, Koenigs’ career stands as a testament to what is possible when purpose, perseverance, and community come together. He did not simply rebuild a program at Everett Community College—he reshaped its athletic history.