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Matt Rice

The sound of whistles echoes from the practice field while math problems fill the whiteboard inside Room 3239.

Football and track coach Matt Rice moves easily between the two spaces, trading playbooks for proofs and stopwatches for study guides. His goal in both places is the same: to push his students to reach their full potential.

“I’ve been a teacher for 24 years,” Rice said. “I actually have a finance and accounting degree from Texas A&M, but by my junior year, I realized that wasn’t where God was calling me to be. Teaching and coaching felt like home; it’s what I grew up around.”

That calling came naturally as education runs in his blood.

“I come from a family of educators,” Rice said. “My dad was a coach and a teacher, my mom was a teacher, and I even had my dad as my pre-cal teacher and football coach in high school. He definitely influenced the path I took.”

IB Coordinator Sarah Patterson said Rice’s passion for learning and leading is demonstrated in everything he does.

“Coach Rice brings a level of expertise,” Patterson said. “He has a really strong understanding of mathematics, from the lower levels all the way up to higher-level concepts. He gets the big picture in terms of math, and he’s such a positive role model for both his students and his coworkers.”

Rice said he has always seen connections between his two passions, teaching math and coaching sports.

“Math and athletics actually have a lot in common,” Rice said. “There’s a ton of math in sports, physics, measurements, timing, angles. We use it constantly in football and track to optimize performance.”

That balance also shapes his approach to leadership.

“I’m not a yeller,” Rice said. “I’m more of an encourager, a horse whisperer, I guess you could say. Whether it’s on the field or in the classroom, I try to get in a student’s ear, give them small things to work on, and help them believe they can improve.”

Players said that kind of encouragement means a lot, especially after tough games.

“After every game, he comes up to me and says something positive,” one player said. “Even if we didn’t win, he’ll point out what I did well. That means a lot. The biggest lesson I’ve learned from him is to always show effort. Never slack off, on the field or in life.”

However, Rice also expects accountability, both on and off the field.

“He gets on to us if we’re slacking in class,” the player said. “If someone’s not doing their work, he’ll make us do punishment during practice. He’s serious about keeping grades up.”

Patterson said that the same mix of encouragement and accountability defines Rice’s classroom.

“He’s always positive and encouraging,” Patterson said. “He has very high expectations for the students, but he also equips them to reach those goals. And he does a lot of little personal things too, like finding out each student’s favorite candy and giving it to them on their birthday. It’s a personal touch that really humanizes the education.”

That attention to detail shows in how he teaches, too. Helping students grasp material is equally important to his teaching.

“He really expects students to develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and to strengthen their problem-solving skills,” Patterson said, “rather than just knowing one way to solve a problem or memorizing random facts.”

For Rice, math is more than formulas; it is training for life, teaching students to solve problems.

“A lot of math is problem-solving,” he said. “In life, we face problems too, and math trains your brain to think through challenges instead of giving up. There might be one right answer, but there are a lot of different ways to get there.”

Students like senior Katherine Keyser said his lessons go far beyond equations.

“He’s always there, even though he has a lot of other duties with football,” Keyser said. “You always feel like he’s just as committed to us in the classroom as he is to his team. I appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes into what he does. He takes the time to think about what our work and assignments will look like from our perspective.”

     That level of commitment requires long hours, but Rice said he would not have it any other way.

     “I don’t get a lot of sleep,” Rice said, laughing. “But I love what I do. Both in the classroom and on the field, that passion fuels me. I also believe in quick feedback; whether it’s grading papers or reviewing game film, it’s important for students and athletes to see results while things are still fresh.”

Patterson said his dedication often shows in small, unseen moments.

“He can get stretched thin with his coaching responsibilities,” Patterson said, “but many times I’ve seen him give up his lunch to work with kids. He’ll eat his apple in class while helping students, or even meet with them in the field house. He finds ways to meet kids where they are and to make time for them.”

Rice believes the heart of teaching lies in the relationship between student and teacher, bringing a sense of understanding.

“Relationships are everything,” he said. “If I know a student is in band, I’ll ask how the competition went. If they’re in volleyball, I’ll ask about the game. When students see that you care about them beyond your subject, it means a lot.”

He tries to carry meaning into everything he does, even the smallest gestures like giving candy to students on their birthday.

“I started giving out candy on students’ birthdays about five or six years ago,” Rice said. “It’s a small gesture, but it means a lot. Even for summer birthdays, we celebrate half-birthdays. It’s just a fun way to show I care.”

Keyser said those thoughtful touches make his classroom feel like family.

“He always buys students their favorite candy or snack for their birthday,” Keyser said. “That really adds a personal touch and shows he cares about us individually.”

At the end of the day, Rice said he hopes his students take more than math skills with them.

“I try to teach every student like they’re my own kid,” Rice said. “That includes some tough love sometimes, but I want them to know I care.”

That philosophy guides everything he does, both in the classroom and on the field. He tries to engage every student, tries to get them to share his love for it at least a little bit.

“My biggest goal is that students leave my class with a better appreciation for math,” Rice said. “They don’t have to love it the way I do, but I want them to know I care about them as people and that we’ve built a relationship through learning.”

Patterson said that kind of authenticity is what makes him so respected at Bryan High.

“He’s a beloved teacher for a reason,” she said. “Everyone knows his classes are tough, but they still want to take them because he’s such an engaging instructor. That builds up not only the IB program, but also Bryan High as a whole.”