Hamburg grad Matt Hoffert returning to lead football program

Matt Hoffert is coming home. Again.

The former Hamburg center and Hawks assistant coach was approved by the school board Monday night to be the program’s head football coach.

He returns to the program with a wealth of experience after coaching the past two seasons at Chestnut Hill College, and after high school coaching jobs at Fleetwood, Boyertown, Allentown Central Catholic and Kutztown over the last two decades.

“I think it’s a perfect fit,” said Hamburg athletic director Aaron Menapace of Hoffert, who has continued to live in the community while coaching at Chestnut Hill the past two seasons. “He’s one of our own, a hometown boy.”

The 2001 Hamburg grad has had a lot of success on the sidelines.

As Fleetwood’s offensive coordinator in 2019 he helped the Tigers set a program record for wins during an 8-3 season and saw them finish No. 1 in the league in total offense.

He pumped life into Kutztown’s program as a head coach there from 2014-2016. In his final season the Cougars went 4-6, their best record in eight seasons. Immediately after he left they endured three straight winless seasons.

“We feel like we hit a home run,” said Menapace. “He’s got an impeccable reputation. He’s just an all-around good person and I think he’s gonna make a great leader of a program in our community. We were sold on the idea that he can generate a legitimate program from kindergarten to 12th grade.”

Hoffert interviewed for the Hamburg head coaching job twice before. He was first interviewed in 2014, before the school hired Damian Buggy. He had discussions about the job last year, before Chillot was eventually hired.

“I think he’s always wanted to be here (as head coach) and it’s never worked out,” Menapace said. “Now I think he’s found the right spot.”

Hoffert was a Hawks assistant from 2005-09 and again from 2012-13, both times under Joe Sinkovich.

Hoffert was in line to be Fleetwood’s head coach in 2020 following their breakout 2019 season. He was offered the job by the school administration and seemed to be a popular choice with team parents but was rejected by the school board. He was later asked to re-apply, but declined.

Hoffert replaces Jeff Chillot, who resigned following a playoff run in 2021, his only season with the program. The Hawks went 6-3 during the regular season last year, then beat Bermudian Springs 31-27 in the opening round of the District 3 Class 3A playoffs for their first district football victory. They were eliminated in the following round by Boiling Springs.

Three football jobs in Berks County remain open, at Boyertown, Fleetwood and Reading High.