Courtesy photo.
MOORPARK — Moorpark College is pleased to announce the selection of Matthew (Matt) Crater as its new athletic director. Crater comes to Moorpark College from College of the Canyons after serving as an athletic support coordinator, assistant head football coach and kinesiology instructor. Crater replaces longtime athletic director Vance Manakas, who recently retired after nearly 40 years.
“Matt brings a great depth of experience to this position, and he clearly has a passion for helping student athletes thrive academically,” said Julius Sokenu, Interim President of Moorpark College. “We are looking forward to him continuing the excellent tradition of student success that has been a cornerstone of our athletic programs.”
Moorpark College belongs to the very competitive Western State Conference and the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). Crater will provide leadership for 16 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports. Moorpark College provides a comprehensive support system for its athletes including a full-time athletic counselor, two athletic trainers, two equipment managers, tutorial support, financial aid programs and dynamic indoor and outdoor facilities.
Crater has worked in college athletics for 15 years. At College of the Canyons, he worked to ensure student athlete eligibility and CCCAA compliance. He also developed programs that resulted in student athlete academic success.
Crater graduated from Fresno Pacific University with a master’s degree in kinesiology and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana–Western in secondary education. Crater is also a former California community college student athlete, having played football at Yuba College.
“I am truly excited to be a part of Moorpark College, the Raiders Athletics department and the community,” said Crater. “Moorpark College has an outstanding reputation for student athlete success. I am humbled by the opportunity and can’t wait to get to work helping our student athletes achieve their goals. Go Raiders!”
For more information on the intercollegiate athletic programs at Moorpark College, visit https://www.moorparkcollege.edu/departments/academic/athletics
About Moorpark College — Moorpark College is one of three colleges in the Ventura County Community College District and annually serves more than 14,000 students. Founded in 1967, Moorpark College is fully accredited and has the highest six-year completion rate within the California Community College System. The Campaign for College Opportunity named Moorpark College a 2020 Champion of Higher Education for the Associate Degree for Transfer Pathway. It is also a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. The college’s signature career/technical programs include nursing, radiologic technology, biotechnology and journalism. The college’s America’s Teaching Zoo is the only associate degree exotic animal training program in the country. To learn more, visit MoorparkCollege.edu or follow @MoorparkCollege on social media.