Capital University

Matt Rutherford, a 2001 graduate of Capital and native of nearby Upper Arlington, Ohio, paired with fellow inductee Doug DiRosario as arguably one of the best duos to step foot on a tennis court wearing Capital colors. Rutherford was a 2001 ITA All-American in both singles and doubles, while also qualifying for the NCAA Individual Championships in singles that same year. A three-time OAC Individual Champion, Rutherford helped lead his team to their first OAC Team Championship in program history in 2001. That same year, Matt was named the OAC Player of the Year. 

Also on the national stage, Rutherford made his presence felt at the 2000 ITA Small College Fall Nationals Qualifier and at the 2000 ITA Central Regional Championships. Rutherford placed seventh in the singles event at Small College Nationals, before pairing with DiRosario to place eighth in the doubles competition. At the Regional Championships, Rutherford again paired with DiRosario to win the doubles, and then Rutherford defeated DiRosario in the finals of the singles competition. 

Matt currently resides in Lewis Center, Ohio with his wife Sara and children Luke, Ben, and Caleb. He is a high school math teacher and head boys tennis coach at Olentangy Orange High School. Matt says having professors and coaches at Capital that took a personal interest in his learning have helped positively impact his teaching and coaching style. The time they took to get to know him as a student and athlete helped him get to where he is today. He credits the assistance of Professors Barbara Keller, Marie-Madeline Stey, and Jane Baldwin, as well as coaches Scott Welsh and Shaun Stamps as individuals who poured into him wholistically and encouraged him to reach for lofty goals. This experience at Capital is allowing Matt to have a similar impact on his students today.