By Joe Kirchmyer
In July, Bishop Timon – St. Jude High School announced that Matt Weiser would take over as the South Buffalo private school’s new athletic director, replacing his friend Joe Licata who headed off to join the football coaching staff at the University at Buffalo where both Joe and Matt lit up the scoreboard on a regular basis not too long ago.
Matt is no stranger to Bishop Timon, having served as defensive coordinator of the football team for four years while Licata served as head coach and athletic director. Now, the former UB star and professional football player will have his fingerprints on the entire athletics program, and he couldn’t be more excited!
As you enter your new role as director of athletics, what is priority number one?
My number one priority will continue to be helping these young men become successful on and off the field. Sports have an incredible ability to teach so many valuable lessons that translate into real life. So, while I do promise to do my best continuing to elevate all of our sports teams to championship levels and raising banners in the gymnasium, my priority will always start with looking out for the students here at 601 McKinley Parkway.
You have an impressive background in football, but now you’re responsible for all sports, from bowling to soccer. How have you prepared for that challenge?
I’m excited to be responsible for all the sports here at Timon. I am an obsessively competitive person and that is going to help me in trying to elevate all of our sports teams. I grew up playing every sport possible, and unfortunately, I no longer get to put on a jersey, but I hope I can motivate our students to put one on. I was a three-sport athlete in high school, and I am a huge advocate for pushing students to play multiple sports. If you look at professional athletes, a high percentage of them were multi-sport athletes in high school compared to those that tried to specialize in just one. So while I know that the likelihood of becoming a professional athlete is slim, I also know that all the sports here at Bishop Timon are going to help prepare our students for success no matter what they choose to do.
South Buffalo has a proud history as a close-knit, blue collar community. How can you use that to your advantage as AD?
Over the past four years I have had the pleasure of getting to learn just how special South Buffalo and the Timon community are. I love the pride and grit that surrounds this school and community. It’s exactly what I want our student athletes to be when it comes to practice, games and school. I want them to be tough and gritty and to be proud of their work. I hope that I can rely on the community to continue supporting these student athletes like they have in the past, and we will do our best to make them proud of what we produce on the field, court, bowling alley and track.
What would you consider to be your biggest challenges over the next few months and years?
I believe the biggest challenge I’m going to be facing the next few months and years is continuing to grow Bishop Timon. It’s an awesome challenge to face. The resiliency of this school and South Buffalo is just incredible and the last few years you can see the growth of the school. School enrollment is up, graduation rates are up, sports teams are successful. It’s my challenge to continue this incredible rise and growth. I can’t wait to see where Timon is able to go next.
What one piece of advice did you learn from a coach that you will pass down to the athletes at Bishop Timon – St. Jude High School?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have had incredible coaches throughout my entire athletic career. There is a lot that I’ve taken away from my coaches and I’m going to break the rules and bring up two things. The first, the importance of school and sports. My high school coaches stressed how important my grades were in order to get an athletic scholarship to college. If you do not handle your business in the classroom, then college coaches will not waste their time recruiting you. I want these athletes to know how important school is to their success.
The second piece of advice was my high school coach’s go-to line: “Big time players make big time plays in big time games” This can pertain to anyone in anything. Are you going to step up when you’re needed and get it done? In school, in sports and in life, are you going to make the “big play” when it matters most? If I’m able to get the students here to understand this, I’ll be so excited about what they are going to accomplish once they leave 601 McKinley Parkway!
You had a stellar collegiate career at UB, but what is it that drew you to Buffalo and has now kept you here?
I’ve been asked this question before and the simple response is the people and the food. Buffalo has an incredible power to draw you in and make you want to stay. I’m a people person, and I wasn’t made to sit at a desk on a computer. I thrive on creating and building relationships and that is very easy to do here in Buffalo. Everyone is genuine and caring. It reminds me of my small middle-of-nowhere hometown where everyone waves to each other and says hello.
Then there is the food. I can’t eat wings if I go anywhere outside of Buffalo. Obviously, the wings are the best here, but all other food options are incredible too. I love getting to explore all the local restaurants.
Tell us a little about Matt Weiser when he’s not working …
A lot of my time is spent working because I love what I do. Countless hours are spent watching film of opponents. Outside of that, I love to continue working out, spending time with my girlfriend and catching up with my former teammates who are still in the area. Whenever I have the time, I cherish the times I get to hop in my car and make the 5-1/2-hour drive back to visit my family. All of my family is back in PA and we are big family, so it is always a great time to have everyone together. I love getting to play with my 5-year-old niece and 2-year-old nephew. They always light up the room with their constant smiles and laughter.
For more information on Bishop Timon – St. Jude High School, please visit bishoptimon.com.
