Matt Hardy enters his third season as the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Western Texas College.

Last season saw the Westerners point guard, Ahmad Robinson, receive First-Team All WJCAC honors after averaging 18.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, and 5.1 RPG. The Westerners were able to defend their home court against #11 Midland and #21 Ranger. Westerner freshman guard Innocent Cyiza was named to the NJCAA All-Academic First Team with a GPA of 4.0. 

In his first season at the helm (2021-2022), the Westerners finished the season with a 15-15 record. The team led the WJCAC and was 12^th in the NJCAA in Team 3pt percentage (37.7%). Garry Clark was named to the All-Region 5 team, as well as the All-WJCAC team. Tyson Brown was named All-WJCAC Honorable Mention. Khaleem Bennett was named WJCAC Player of the Week. Lorenzo Downey broke the WTC single-season record for made three-pointers (91), as well as the career record (125). Six players signed to play at four-year universities.   

During the 2019-2020 season, Coach Hardy was the Assistant Men’s basketball coach at WTC. In that season, Hardy assisted with leading the Westerners to a 23-11 record and to the semifinals of the Region V tournament. The twenty-three wins tied for the most wins at WTC since 1984. The team ranked nationally for the first time since 2011, appearing in the national polls for five consecutive weeks during that season, reaching No.11 at their peak. At the Region V tournament, the Westerners upset the No. 3 ranked team in the country to advance. Three players received WJCAC All-Conference honors, and four players won WJCAC player of the week. Eleven players signed to play at four-year universities. 

Prior to WTC, Hardy coached at D’Iberville High School in Biloxi, Mississippi under former University of Mississippi Head Women's Coach Renee Ladner. The Warriors finished 16-9 and advanced to the MSHAA 6A State Tournament.

Before moving to D’Iberville, Hardy was the assistant coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (NJCAA D1) from 2013 until 2018. The Bulldogs were 87-41 during his tenure and made the MACJC playoffs every season, extending the MACJC record to twenty-one seasons in a row. Hardy helped lead Gulf Coast to three MACJC Final Fours, and one Region 23 Final Four. The Bulldogs sent twenty-eight players to four-year institutions during Hardy’s time in Perkinston and notched eight NJCAA All-Region 23 performers. Davion Cole-Johnson was awarded NJCAA National Player of the Week in January 2017. The Bulldogs ranked No.17 in the NJCAA poll during the 2015-2016 season. In his five-year tenure, the Bulldog Basketball Program had a 97% graduation rate.

Prior to Gulf Coast, Hardy was a Staff Sergeant in the Active-Duty Air Force as a Network Infrastructure Supervisor. He served from May 2005 to June 2013. Hardy earned the Air Force Commendation Medal for his tour in South Korea. He was also stationed in Missouri, Guam, Italy, and Mississippi.

Hardy graduated from West Plains High School in West Plains, Missouri in 2005. He holds a Master of Education in Athletic Administration as well as a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a minor in Secondary Education, both from William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Coach Hardy lives in Snyder with his wife, Jillian, and their daughter, Scarlett.