Memphis Showboats’ returning kicker Matthew Coghlin has become one of the most successful and reliable kickers in spring football.
Prior to joining the Showboats a year ago, Coghlin was with the New Orleans Breakers. Ranking number two in the USFL with a 95% rate, Coghlin converted 18/19 field goals with a 55-yard boot as his longest. He added another 25/25 extra points.
When the Breakers folded following the UFL merger, former Showboats’ coach John DiFilippo signed his star kicker with Memphis. He was a great addition to their roster. Despite the Showboats’ struggles last season, Coghlin proved to be one of the bright spots for the offense. He ranked third in the league with a 94.1% field goal percentage, kicking 16/17 including a 57-yard boot as his longest.
The former Michigan State University grad is their all-time field goal leader with 76 field goals throughout his collegiate career. The previous record of 71 field goals was established in 2009 by Brett Swanson.
At 5’9″ tall and 190 lbs., Coghlin is short for a professional football kicker. The average height for an NFL kicker is 6’1″ tall while the average height in the UFL last season was just under 6’1. None-the-less, Coghlin is one of the best in the league.
Last season, the UFL was a field goal kickers paradise with kickers Jake Bates, J.J. Molson and Andre Szymt all grabbing headlines for field goals of 60-yards or more. With so many UFL kickers making waves for their long distance kicking ability, the Cincinnati, Ohio native may have faded into the background. But his quietly efficient performance did not go unnoticed. Coghlin accounted for 48 points for the Showboats last season.
This season, with the Showboats new and improved offense under coach Ken Whisenhunt and Bates, Szymt and John Parker Romo finding success in the NFL, expect to see Coghlin at the top of the UFL’s leader board.
