Staff Directory
Matt Ariza
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
Years in Coaching: 4th season
Years at USF: 1st season
Alma Mater: Piedmont, 2023
Hometown: Naples, Florida
NOTABLES
Matt Ariza joined South Florida as the Assistant Coach in June 2026. He came to USF after serving as an assistant coach at Mercer during the 2025-26 season.
“Matt is the complete package as a coach. His unmatched work ethic, genuine passion for developing student-athletes, and ability to connect with people make him an outstanding addition to any program,” Bradley said. “He earns trust naturally and inspires those around him to be their best. We are excited to welcome Matt as our Assistant Golf Coach and look forward to the impact he will make on our team and culture.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to come home to South Florida. Coach Bradley has a track record of getting his teams to compete at the highest level,” Ariza said. “I’m really looking forward to working with him and continuing to help this team grow and compete.”
During the 2025-26 season, he helped Mercer earn a third-place finish at the Southern Conference Championship, the highest finish in program history. As a team, Mercer lowered its scoring average by nearly five strokes per round, improving from 292.24 to 287.52.
Ariza coached All-Southern Conference selection Henry Robards to a No. 325 ranking in the NCAA men's golf player rankings after Robards entered the season ranked No. 932. He also helped Mercer improve 38 spots in the NCAA men's golf team rankings, moving from No. 178 in 2024-25 to No. 140 in 2025-26.
Before his role at Mercer, Ariza spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky. During his tenure, the Colonels improved from No. 246 to No. 144 in the NCAA men's golf team rankings in a single semester. He also helped guide the program to seven top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes.
Ariza led recruiting for EKU across the Southeast and Midwest. He oversaw apparel design for the team and staff to ensure a unified brand identity.
Before joining the Colonels as a coach, Ariza played five years of collegiate golf for Piedmont and Lamar.
Ariza competed in 28 rounds for Piedmont University and received Collegiate Conference of the South Second Team honors in 2023. When competing in the 2023 NCAA DIII Championship, Ariza finished 51st out of 221 golfers to help guide the Lions to a second-place team finish.
Ariza is scheduled to graduate from Mercer University with a Master of Business Administration in July 2026. He graduated from Piedmont University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2023.
Years at USF: 1st season
Alma Mater: Piedmont, 2023
Hometown: Naples, Florida
NOTABLES
- Coached 2025-26 All-Southern Conference selection Henry Robards to a No. 325 ranking in the NCAA men's golf player rankings after entering the season ranked No. 932.
- Helped Mercer earn a third-place finish at the Southern Conference Championship, the highest finish in program history.
- Helped Mercer improve 38 spots in the NCAA men's golf team rankings, moving from No. 178 in 2024-25 to No. 140 in 2025-26.
- During his tenure at Eastern Kentucky, the Colonels improved from No. 246 to No. 144 in the NCAA men's golf team rankings in a single semester.
Matt Ariza joined South Florida as the Assistant Coach in June 2026. He came to USF after serving as an assistant coach at Mercer during the 2025-26 season.
“Matt is the complete package as a coach. His unmatched work ethic, genuine passion for developing student-athletes, and ability to connect with people make him an outstanding addition to any program,” Bradley said. “He earns trust naturally and inspires those around him to be their best. We are excited to welcome Matt as our Assistant Golf Coach and look forward to the impact he will make on our team and culture.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to come home to South Florida. Coach Bradley has a track record of getting his teams to compete at the highest level,” Ariza said. “I’m really looking forward to working with him and continuing to help this team grow and compete.”
During the 2025-26 season, he helped Mercer earn a third-place finish at the Southern Conference Championship, the highest finish in program history. As a team, Mercer lowered its scoring average by nearly five strokes per round, improving from 292.24 to 287.52.
Ariza coached All-Southern Conference selection Henry Robards to a No. 325 ranking in the NCAA men's golf player rankings after Robards entered the season ranked No. 932. He also helped Mercer improve 38 spots in the NCAA men's golf team rankings, moving from No. 178 in 2024-25 to No. 140 in 2025-26.
Before his role at Mercer, Ariza spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky. During his tenure, the Colonels improved from No. 246 to No. 144 in the NCAA men's golf team rankings in a single semester. He also helped guide the program to seven top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes.
Ariza led recruiting for EKU across the Southeast and Midwest. He oversaw apparel design for the team and staff to ensure a unified brand identity.
Before joining the Colonels as a coach, Ariza played five years of collegiate golf for Piedmont and Lamar.
Ariza competed in 28 rounds for Piedmont University and received Collegiate Conference of the South Second Team honors in 2023. When competing in the 2023 NCAA DIII Championship, Ariza finished 51st out of 221 golfers to help guide the Lions to a second-place team finish.
Ariza is scheduled to graduate from Mercer University with a Master of Business Administration in July 2026. He graduated from Piedmont University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2023.
Friday, May 29
Thursday, May 21
Tuesday, May 19
Sunday, May 17
