Hall of Fame
One of the cornerstones of the Bethune-Cookman athletic department, Rudolph “Bunky” Matthews legacy has spanned many generations of Wildcat athletics.
Matthews was a gridiron standout for the Wildcats in the 1930s when the program was a junior college team. He matriculated on to Morehouse, where he received his degree in 1939 and would go on to earn a Master’s Degree in physical education from Columbia.
He returned to Bethune-Cookman in 1946 and made an immediate impact: His first team finished 7-1-1 and won the Coconut Bowl. The 1947 team topped that with a 10-2 record, the Southeastern Conference championship and two bowl invitations – one against the legendary Eddie Robinson and the famed Grambling State Tigers.
One of the most celebrated years of Wildcat football was 1952, when Matthews led the Wildcats to an 8-1 record, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and a Steel Bowl victory against Texas State on New Year’s Day. The highlight was the famed Homecoming victory over Florida A&M that was the program’s first since 1926 and would not occur again until 1972.
Basketball also flourished under Matthews, with the team winning consecutive SEAC titles in 1948 and 1949. With John Chaney at point guard and Jack Cy McClairen at center, the Wildcats won the 1953 SIAC title and made the NAIA national playoffs, a feat Chaney would accomplish again in 1955.
Matthews left the sidelines in 1960 after two heart attacks, but stayed on campus in the physical education department. Taking his place were two of his former players – McClairen and Lloyd “Tank” Johnson, who continued his legacy the next three decades.
He went on to serve as a minister at Mount Bethel Baptist Church in Daytona Beach.
In 1973, Matthews was elected to the Daytona Beach City Commission.
He passed away in 1976.
