Many people who attend the University say once he/she graduate, they want to get away and start their lives as well as their careers. This was not the case for communication professor Matt Harmon.
Harmon attended MU as an undergrad student from 1993- 1996. MU started their football program in the same year of Harmon’s arrival and he was sure to take advantage of the opportunity. In his first year, Harmon played running back.
He remembers one game in particular standing out above all the rest. “It was a crazy back and forth game against St. Peter’s,” Harmon said as he spoke of the Hawks’ very first football win. “It was just fun to be there and be a part of.”
Harmon’s football career was cut short when he suffered an injury to his back, sidelining him for the rest of his college career. When a tragedy such as his occurs, it tends to make one reevaluate what is important, which is what Harmon did. He was forced to reconsider his entire future at the University and figure out his purpose of earning a degree.
“I started as a business major. I took a couple classes but it didn’t grab me, so I looked for something else and communication seemed to be something of interest to me.”
In his eyes, the injury was a blessing in disguise. “Getting hurt and not playing football led me to be more involved with the communication aspect of sports because I had more time,” Harmon said.
As the sport no longer consumed his days and nights, Harmon decided to fill its void by joining extracurricular activities in the communication field.
The two clubs Harmon became most involved in were The Outlook and W MCX. In fact, by his last year at the University, Harmon was the sports director for the radio station.
When asked about his most memorable experience in any club activity, Harmon said, “It was the 1996 basketball season. That was the first year the men ever made the NCAA tournament. We had a couple of crazy, crazy games in the conference tournament. It was great fun, a great ride, and there were great members of the basketball team.”
By the time Harmon graduated, he had built such a vast resume in his time at the University that he was ensured a job right out of college.
“I worked at a bunch of different places,” Harmon continued. “I covered some local sports for a couple of local newspapers. Radio wise, I did some local stuff and I also covered Monmouth sports.”
Years later, he still travels to the city working as a part time sports update announcer for 1010 Wins. Along with 1010 Wins, Harmon has affiliated himself with many other sports networks.
“A big bulk of my work now is for the Shore Sports Network which focuses on high school football and basketball, but it also involves Monmouth football and basketball,” Harmon said. “I do some work for the Northeast Conference and MSG on the TV side of things.”
Harmon was acknowledged by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association when he was awarded New Jersey Sportscaster of the Year in January 2012.
Harmon is also in the pursuit of earning a doctorate degree in sports studies at the United States Sports Academy in Alabama. For this degree, he must take online classes and if required, travel down south for some courses.
He is a father to three sons who are very involved in sports. While it would be an easy assumption to believe Harmon’s sons followed his football legacy, two out of the three boys chose a different path.
Preferring soccer over football, Harmon is not disappointed in his children’s decision nor is he surprised. “I coached soccer in high school for several years. My dad and my brother were soccer players. I was kind of the lone football guy in my family.”
Harmon is also a full-time professor for the University.
Harmon first began his teaching profession three years after he completed his undergraduate degree. As an undergrad student at the University, Harmon thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent. For this reason alone, Harmon decided to become a professor. “I had such a good experience here at Monmouth, that I started to try to think of ways to give back,” Harmon explained. “The nice thing about teaching and working in the field is it allows me to deal with some stuff the students are dealing with.”
While Harmon has a great deal to be thankful for, he still is reaching for his dream goal. “I put it on the back-burner a little more because I’ve gotten involved with the teaching end of it, but I still have aspirations of trying to advance my broadcast career a little bit further along.”
“I don’t really look at things and say ‘I want to be the play by play for the Super Bowl.’ I just want to be involved in things at a higher level and just have a chance with a couple different networks.”
IMAGE TAKEN from gomuhawks.com
