USF basketball team manager with autism continues to inspire and educate

TAMPA, Fla. - Brandon Matthews has always loved the game of basketball.

"He just gravitated towards it," said Brandon's father, Jason Matthews. "He literally would keep shooting until he fell asleep. He would literally fall asleep right in front of the hoop."

Brandon Matthews also loves his job as a team manager with the USF men's basketball team.

"He's a great person and his energy is infectious,' said Bulls head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim. "We want energy-givers around our program."

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Often, Brandon Matthews will be the first one on the court and the last one off just to give himself the chance to get some extra shots up.

"Basketball has always been his social gateway," said his dad.

He was born with Autism and is pre-verbal, which means he can speak but is more likely to let his love of basketball speak for him.

That is also why it is so important for Brandon Matthews to continue in his role with the Bulls.

"We know that it is working," his dad said. "We would never want to take that social development opportunity away from him, and he has a love for the game."

A former basketball player himself, Jason Matthews moved the family from Pittsburgh to Tampa when Brandon Matthews graduated high school back in 2017 to enroll his son in the USF Center for Autism and Related Disabilities.

He also had a standing invitation from then-head basketball coach Orlando Antigua to join the team as a manager. When Antigua was replaced by Brian Gregory, the deal stood as Brandon Matthews has now been behind the Bulls bench for the last seven seasons and counting.

"Each season I see him grow more and more with his responsibilities," Jason Matthews said. "We have seen so much growth with his social development. Even our managers that have been with the team for four or five years tell me, 'Coach J, we see it!'"

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Occasionally, he also travels with the team and has gained friends and fans from around the country.

"It just blew me away that we were playing at Auburn, and [the student section] knew who my son is," said Jason Matthews.

And during his tenure with the Bulls, Brandon Matthews has served as an inspiration to others with Autism.

"It's bigger than Brandon," his dad said. "The USF men's basketball program has given Brandon the platform to affect so many lives."

When USF decided to make a coaching change after last season, however, Jason Matthews was worried his son might lose that platform.

"It was a very difficult few weeks," Jason Matthews recalled.

New Bulls' head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim had only been on the job for a few weeks, but even the new coach couldn't help but admire his team manager.

"I would be up in my office, and I would always hear this ball bouncing," Abdur-Rahim remembered. "I would look down and always see this kid shooting."

Ultimately, Abdur-Rahim didn't have to think twice about welcoming Brandon Matthews back to the bench.

"Whatever roll he had, he earned it," the Bulls head coach said. "Who am I to come in and say, 'I'm the new coach!' No, he earned that responsibility."

To Jason Matthews' relief, his son's job was safe. But Abdur-Rahim took his role even further, pulling the proud father aside to learn how to foster a better atmosphere for Brandon Matthews while he was with the team.

"He really cared about creating an environment for Brandon that was comfortable with him," Jason Matthews said.

Now, Brandon Matthews is free to fulfill his duties day in and day out while continuing to educate and inspire.