New Mexico State University Athletics

Matt Christian is in his sixth season as a full-time assistant with the Aggies in 2021 after serving as a graduate assistant for two years. Christian was promoted to the  running backs coach for his alma mater in 2018 and also continues his the duties of Academic and Co-Special Teams Coordinator.

The 2018 campaign saw Christian work with a variety of weapons in the backfield. Between Jason Huntley and Christian Gibson with Royce Caldwell, NM State had 1,207 yards on the ground between the three with 13 touchdowns. In addition, Huntley’s dynamic offensive prowess earned him Phil Steele Fourth-Team All-America honors.

In 2018, Christian and the running game helped lead the Aggies to their first bowl game in 57 years and the 2017 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl Championship in front of 25,000-plus Aggie fans at Arizona Stadium on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017.

Christian and the Aggies finished the 2017 regular season 7-6 and 4-4 against Sun Belt opponents. These victories included a sweep over NM State’s rivals UTEP and New Mexico for the first time since 2002. The win in 2017 over UNM was the second win in as many years against the Lobos.

As the running backs coach, Christian helped lead the dual attack of All-American Larry Rose III and Jason Huntley in the backfield. Rose III, a Second Team All-Conference selection in the Sun Belt, capped off his illustrious Aggie career with a team-high 949 yards rushing and a team-high ten rushing touchdowns. Rose III’s game-winning touchdown in the Arizona Bowl victory saw him tie James “Preacher” Pilot for the most rushing touchdowns in program history with 37.

Huntley had a breakout sophomore year with 440 yards on 70 carries for an average of 6.0 yards per carry. Meanwhile, QB Tyler Rogers finished second on the team with seven rushing touchdowns.

Under the tutelage of Christian, running back Larry Rose III ran for 935 yards in just nine games in 2016. NM State averaged 169.75 yards as a team on the ground. Christian helped guide the team to 13 rushing touchdowns with Rose III and quarterback Tyler Rogers collecting four rushing touchdowns each.

Christian played two years of football for the Aggies in 2010 and 2011, starting 21 games at quarterback. During his career, Christian threw for 3,530 yards and 23 touchdowns, while rushing for 513 yards and seven scores. He tallied nine 200-yard passing games and two 300-yard passing games in his two years as an Aggie.

Prior to NM State, Christian played two seasons at Palomar Junior College, helping his team to an 18-6 record over those two years, including a win in the Golden Empire Bowl in 2008 and a Southern California runner-up honor in 2009. He started 11 games for Palomar, completing 191-of-326 pass attempts for 2,329 yards and 23 touchdowns. Christian is married to the former Molly Martin.