NAPLES, Fla. - FC Naples today announced that Matt "Gaffa" Poland was named the club's inaugural Head Coach and Sporting Director. In his role, Poland will be charged the rare opportunity to build a new club from the ground up, instilling a culture of professionalism and sportsmanship in the club.

Marco Island, Fla. has been Poland's home base for the past 13 years, while his journey has led him to play internationally in Europe. He has also earned accolades as a coach in lower-division European and American leagues. During the off-season, Poland's love of the game has kept him on the field, coaching both girls' and boys' teams at Marco Island Academy, Naples United FC and more.

Poland's most recent experience coaching was with another young club, Chicago House AC, originally in NISA and currently a member of the Midwest Premier League. He joined Chicago Fire FC legend CJ Brown's staff as an assistant coach in the team's inaugural season of 2021.  In January of 2022, he succeeded Brown taking over as House's head coach and technical director where he amassed a record of 23-7-8 across nearly three seasons.

Most notably, Poland led House to back-to-back Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup appearances. In 2023, House made it to the third round of the tournament on the wave of a 15-game unbeaten streak, having knocked off league foe and historically rich Bavarian United SC at home before traveling to USL League One side Forward Madison FC, winning in a thrilling overtime victory after coming back from a two-goal deficit in the 70th minute. It was the biggest comeback for an amateur side against a professional club in U.S. Open Cup play since 1995. House's fairytale run came to an end at the hands of MLS's Chicago Fire FC, making them one of only nine amateur teams to face an MLS competitor in the 110 years of tournament history. Poland's squads achieved an 8-2-0 record in all U.S. Open Cup competitions, losing only to the Chicago Fire FC first team and MNUFC2. During his time with House, 16 players and staff signed professional contracts.

Before joining Chicago House in 2021, Poland was the head coach of Naples United FC (NPSL) where his team was ranked fourth in the country, before leaving to take the Chicago House AC job.  In addition to coaching Naples United FC, he was also a coach locally for charter school Marco Island Academy (MIA).  In 2018, he returned home from playing in Finland to rehab from ACL surgery and was a volunteer assistant coach at MIA. In 2019 and 2020 he was able to return as varsity head coach for the boys' team as well as the girls' varsity team in 2020 during the offseason in Finland. The boys won their conference both years and made it to sectionals for the first and only time in school history, and the girls' team won their conference and made it to sectionals for only the second time in the school's history in a rebuilding year after having nine players graduate the season before.

After graduating from Mayo High School in Rochester, Minn., Poland continued his playing career at Taylor University in Upland, Ind. He played four years for Taylor as a central defender playing and starting in 73 games, in those games the team's record was 39-28-6 and he led the team to their first national tournament appearance on a seven-match shutout streak. During his time at Taylor, he earned two first-team all-conference honors, as well as two-time runner-up for defensive player of the year. Poland earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science in 2014.

Upon graduation, he signed with Bridges Sports Management.  His first contract out of college was in Finland with Sporting Kristina. During the 2016-17 seasons, he played and captained Sweden's Sävsjö FF. In 2018 he returned to Sporting Kristina donning the captain's armband before sustaining a playing career-ending ACL injury.

Poland returned to Sporting Kristina in 2019 taking the helm for the first time as the head coach and added sporting director to his title in 2020, in navigating the international player pool during the pandemic lockdowns and restrictions.

Poland earned his UEFA B license (through Germany) in November 2023 and currently holds his USSF B license as well.  He plans to begin his USSF A license at the end of 2024. Additionally, he is in the process of completing coursework for a Masters in High Performance Football through MBP in Spain, which he will complete in November. Other licenses he's earned in coaching include Specialist in Set Pieces, DFB Goalkeeper License, DFB Field Player License, Bundesliga Workshop 1. FC Köln and a TFV Coaching License.