NCAA field hockey season has begun and the North Carolina Tar Heels continue to be a must-watch team this season. The Heels started out strong at the Atlantic Coast Conference(ACC)-Big Ten Challenge last week, winning against No. 7 Michigan and No. 15 Iowa.

This past weekend was all about the Conference Crossover. The Heels faced No. 10 Princeton and won 3-2. They also defeated the University of Pennsylvania 6-2.

Behind the wins this season stands head coach Erin Matson.

A Decorated Program

The Tar Heels began their playing schedule as the ACC’s 2025 preseason favorites and ranked No. 2 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Preseason Poll. Needless to say, the expectations were high heading into the 2025 season.

These expectations aren’t surprising. The Tar Heels boast 11 NCAA titles and remained undefeated in 2024 until the NCAA Semifinal against Saint Joseph’s. This year, the Heels are back for redemption. And they have the talent and coaching to make it happen.

“Now it’s my time to not only bring awareness to this program, but to bring awareness to our sport.”

Erin Matson

The Mind Behind It All

25-year-old head coach Erin Matson is no stranger to the Tar Heels. Before becoming head coach, Matson helped the Heels to four NCAA Championships as a midfielder. Her coaching philosophy is based on inspiration and commitment, not grand gestures and major changes.

“I’m a big believer that you don’t need to do big things to make big change,” Matson told Inside Carolina in August.

As the most decorated player in Carolina field hockey history—she’s the program’s all-time scoring leader with 137 goals—Matson was announced as the Tar Heels’ newest head coach on January 31, 2023, only a month after she graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill.

“She knows how to inspire, listen, teach and win—all qualities that will translate well to the sidelines and make her a terrific head coach,” Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said of Matson in 2023.

Though she’s relatively new to coaching, leadership and sacrifice live within Matson. She was described as a leader on her team throughout her tenure, and the NCAA reports that Matson was happy to end her own playing career and prioritize moving the sport forward.

As a star player familiar with what makes the Heels a family, Matson was the perfect pick to fill the head coach vacancy at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Not only is Matson a decorated player, but she’s also on her way to becoming a decorated coach. In her first season as head coach, she made history as the youngest Division I field hockey coach to win the NCAA Championship title when the Heels defeated Northwestern in a penalty shootout. Although they didn’t reach the 2024 final, Matson’s mentality is in the right place.

“You come here to play because you want to rise to these moments,” she told ESPN prior to the 2024 semifinal against Saint Joseph’s. In 2025, all eyes are set on rising back to that level and winning the moment this time around.

A New Generation

Matson silences criticism about her age by demonstrating her game knowledge and continually producing success on the field.

“I’ve given so much to the sport. But this sport has given so much to me,” she said to ESPN. “Now it’s my time to not only bring awareness to this program, but to bring awareness to our sport.”

More young head coaches are joining Matson in a new wave of leaders in NCAA sports, and it’s only a matter of time before we start to see more recently graduated players take on these higher-level roles. Matson proves that age doesn’t define your ability to lead and succeed.

The Tar Heels are hoping to add another NCAA trophy to their case this year, and we’re excited to see how Matson guides them to that goal.