IUP Athletic Hall of Fame
Matthew Kohler succeeded both in and on the water, first as an All-America swimmer at IUP, later as an officer in the United States Navy.
Kohler earned four All-America certificates between 1980 and 1983, then served 36 years in the Navy, retiring in 2020 with the rank of vice admiral.
He joined coach Ralph Johnson’s program during the 1979-80 season and collected his first All-America citation at the NCAA Division II meet in Youngstown, Ohio. Kohler and teammates Dan Deacon, Bick Murphy and Kim Tyson finished 11th in the 400-yard freestyle relay in a school-record time of 3:10.66.
He also joined IUP’s club water polo team as a freshman, and played for four years as a center.
Kohler added to his All-America haul as a junior at the national meet in Clarion by finishing seventh in the 100 free (47.35) and 11th in the 50 free (21.65). He wrapped up his IUP career in 1983 at the NCAA Division II meet in Long Beach, Calif., by placing 11th in the 100 free in a school-record 47.14. Kohler qualified for nationals in each of his four years at IUP.
He also won a 100 free championship in the highly competitive PSAC as a senior. Kohler was included on the PSAC 75 list, released in September 2025, that honored 300 contributors, designated “Made in the PSAC,” who have gone on to influential careers after graduating from a conference school. He was also recognized with induction into the Eberly College of Business Hall of Distinction in 2022.
Kohler received his bachelor’s degree from the Eberly College of Business in 1983 and earned master’s degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1989 and from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1996.
He serves as CEO of Kohler Strategic Solutions LLC in Atlantic Beach, Fla., and is also a senior counselor for The Cohen Group, a strategic consulting firm in Washington, D.C.
Kohler and his wife, Melanie, a former IUP swimmer, reside in Atlantic Beach. They have two children, Rachel and Max.
Personal Reflection
This amazing and unanticipated honor is all about those I love and care about. I met my wife (an IUP swimmer) of 40 years (and counting!) and established many close, life-long friendships while swimming at IUP.
My IUP experiences and education proved both foundational and indispensably motivating throughout the years in my personal and professional life. I would not change one day of my four years at IUP. This honor is deeply humbling, given all of my incredibly talented and dedicated IUP swimming teammates.
