Rob Matula: Retired Head Coach Mason Girls Basketball and MHS Biology Teacher
When Coach Rob Matula accepted his first job with Mason City Schools (MCS) as a freshman biology teacher in 1988, he didn’t know where Mason, Ohio was. Thirty-six years later, he has recently retired as a successful girl's head basketball coach and high school educator who loves his students and players just as much as his adopted hometown.
Rob comes from an education family. His father was a math teacher and his mother was a middle school secretary in Bucyrus, Ohio. Growing up, he was always around their world and enjoyed seeing them at school. Although working in education can be challenging, and his parents tried to direct him elsewhere, he saw the benefits firsthand.
“It’s a business that allowed them to grow a family because mom and dad were there, when we were leaving for school and when we got home. We had them in the evenings, on the weekends, for vacations and summers and those things were the most essential,” shares Rob.
After graduating from Bowling Green State University and being hired by MCS, he worked for 10 years at Mason. He departed for stints at Talawanda and Sycamore where he was also varsity boys basketball coach. But he was a Mason Comet at heart and returned 19 years ago for an opportunity to run the girl's basketball program and be surrounded by friends and family.
“I'm an emotional person and when you develop friendships and relationships in a place it's always on your mind and in your heart,” explains Rob. “So obviously my first 10 years were at Mason and I developed some unbelievable friends and colleagues. Looking back, it was one of the best moves in my life to come back. Beyond the successes we had basketball-wise, I got to reconnect with families and friends and be here for my kid's high school years.”
Rob was recognized with many honors during his coaching career, including league Coach of the Year awards, Southwest Coach of the Year and Greater Cincinnati Coach of the Year. During his notable tenure, he produced multiple all-league and all-state players and 457 overall wins. In his final season, he coached the Comets to a 24-3 record, an outright Greater Miami Conference title and a district championship, while also being named the 2023-24 OHSAA Division One Coach of the Year. Even with all of those accomplishments, it’s the relationships he built and the hard work his students and players put in that he’s most proud of.
“Coaches and teachers cannot be afraid to show their emotions and be emotionally invested in what they're doing. When you show your emotions, it allows you to be real and your students and players will respond to that,” imparts Rob. “No matter how many kids you have in your classroom or on your team, you have to make the effort to include everyone. Let them know you care about them, outside of the lines of performance and competition. If they trust you and you establish those types of relationships, you’ll get their best effort.”
Now that he is officially retired, Rob hopes to stop and smell the flowers (he loves to garden in his spare time) with his wife Andi, his kids Megan and Drew and his parents. You’ll likely still see him at Mason games, “I really can't wait to go to sporting events and be able to sit and watch and cheer them on.”
Terry Killens: NFL Official and City of Mason Campus Safety Specialist
You may have heard about long-time Mason resident Terry Killens during the news coverage of Super Bowl LVIII. That’s because he made history as the first former NFL player to both play in (as a Tennessee Titan linebacker) and officiate a Super Bowl game.
At first, the historic moment was a surprise even to him. It wasn’t until he heard his own voice during a 6 p.m. broadcast of Sportscenter on ESPN that he realized it was national news. Despite the initial overwhelm, Terry had so much support from family, friends and other NFL officials, that he was prepared to take in the whole experience.
“That's what I love about working with the guys in the NFL. People are genuinely happy for you when you get this gig and they reach out to offer their congratulations,” Terry smiles. “This was my first year of eligibility, so you also have veteran guys who have experienced this before reaching out to give you great advice.”
NFL officials aren’t eligible to officiate at the Super Bowl until their fifth year. They also have to have three consecutive playoff appearances on field and be rated at the top of their tier system, which is graded throughout the season. But it wasn’t just these criteria that helped Terry make history this year, it was his self-professed “obsession with officiating” and a ton of hard work.
In the early 2000s, Terry and his wife decided to move back to the Cincinnati area where they both grew up. They chose Mason because of the great reputation of the school district. After retiring from the NFL on his own terms, Terry was a stay-at-home dad (he has five kids) and began officiating Pee Wee football games. He took an Ohio High School Athletic Association officiating class and was hooked on discovering the game he loved in a new way.
From there he went on to officiate and make connections at every level in football (high school JV and varsity, then NCAA Division 3 and Division 1), frequently traveling and sometimes even sleeping in airports. Over time, he worked his way up to the NFL Development Program and was hired as an NFL official in 2019.
“I feel like lightning has struck twice. Not many people can say ‘I played in the National Football League.’ When I was younger, I didn't embrace every moment as much. I got another opportunity to do it again and I'm taking full advantage. I'm embracing every moment,” Terry expresses.
To create balance with his time officiating, he applied to a city job posting for a campus safety specialist and was hired in 2017. He works for the City of Mason Police Department as part of the campus safety division, who work in the Mason Municipal Court and with School Resource Officers (SROs) in Mason City Schools. Terry is primarily located in the Mason Community Center where he mentors and develops relationships with students who come there after school.
“The best part is the relationships with the students, administration and the community. I live in Mason so I'm invested in it. I like to see good relationships and positive energy developed amongst all of us which has always been a goal of mine,” Terry shares. “I love to see the development of our young people. When they start off they can be a little immature and rambunctious. Still, it's a great feeling for me to watch these kids become young men and women who eventually will go on to college and hopefully, find their niche in life and society.”
Darrin Simmons: Cincinnati Bengals Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator
When Darrin Simmons moved to Mason in 2003 to work as special teams coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals alongside Marvin Lewis, he was the youngest position coach in the NFL. He didn’t know what to expect or how long he would be here, but this season will be his 22nd with the Bengals. It’s so uncommon that he is not only the longest-tenured coach on the Bengals’ staff, he’s the longest-serving special teams coordinator in all of the NFL. In 2020, he was also named the Bengals’ assistant head coach.
“It's been a very unique experience for my family. All three of our kids have spent their entire school careers in Mason City Schools. We've been super fortunate that they've been able to grow up with the same set of friends. Usually when you're the family of a coach, you're packing up and moving around to different places for different teams. Fortunately, I've been able to stay here for a long time,” shares Darrin.
It’s a testament to his part in rewriting the Bengals’ record book, but even more so to the relationships and trust he’s built with his fellow coaches and the players. Those bonds led him to be asked to join Marvin’s coaching staff after working with him at the Baltimore Ravens, to stay through Marvin’s 16 years, to continue when Zach Taylor came on as head coach and to ride the waves of three different quarterbacks.
“I think it works best when you can build a relationship of trust where they know that when they turn their back, you will go do your job and be effective. Among the coaches, but the same thing goes with the players, my job as a coach is to maximize the ability and talent of our players in a way that helps our team win,” explains Darrin. “But I have to get the players to trust that I have their best interest in mind and I’m trying to help them have longevity in their career. I think a huge part of what I do is fostering those relationships with the players.”
Darrin grew up in a tight-knit family on a wheat farm in the small town of Elkhart, Kansas in the same farmhouse where his father grew up. He still goes back during breaks and summers to help farm and spend time with family and friends.
“I'm just a simple country kid at heart who happened to get caught up in this whole NFL thing and I've tried to ride with it as long as I can,” he laughs.
Darrin and his brother were both athletes and their parents were at every game. He played quarterback in high school, was a backup quarterback in college and was a starting punter at the University of Kansas.
“I always had an interest in the schemes of special teams. I knew I understood a lot about the technique and what it takes for them to be successful. And I knew I would have an advantage over a lot of other coaches because I played that position, but I also played quarterback,” he says. “I think the untapped area was special teams and it's become even more of a focus since I've been in the NFL.”
Darrin and his wife Rhonda always wanted what they had growing up for their kids, but were never sure if that was in the cards given his job. No matter what happens in the future, they feel lucky to have established a new hometown in Mason.
“I'm the most proud of my family and I'm very proud of being able to stay in one place and to have the opportunity to see the growth and development of this football organization. This is home for us and I'm sure it will continue to be regardless of what happens with me in my profession. It’s really because of all the bonds and relationships we've built with the families and friends we have in Mason,” shares Darrin.