Chaparrals head football coach and three-time NJCAA Coach of the Year Matthew Rahn has delivered COD to the top of the NJCAA in all four years at the helm.
COD is the only program to have won the NJCAA Division III championship, earning titles in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 with all four games played at COD. Fifty-seven All-American honors have been earned in those seasons, along with the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Darrell Smith, 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Guy Goss, 2023 Offensive Player of the Year Jaden McGill and 2024 Offensive Player of the Year Justin Bland.
Since the NJCAA began D3 play in 2021, the Chaps have been ranked no worse than third in 49 consecutive polls. A total of 45 players have earned NJCAA Player of the Week honors in that four-year period.
Rahn's 40-6 overall record rates as the best four-year period in terms of victories in the last 29 years of COD football. He earned his third NJCAA Coach of the Year honor in 2024 after the Chaps became just the fourth program in college football history to win four straight national crowns, joining North Dakota State (5, 2011-15), Augustana, Ill. (4 1983-86) and Carroll, Mont. (4 2002-05).
The Chaparrals rolled past the competition in 2024, averaging a whopping 50.9 points a game and giving up only 13.3 points. They earned the fourth straight title with a 31-14 victory over Louisburg (N.C.) in the title game played again at COD.
COD earned its third straight crown in 2023, taking a 10-1 record into the title game against Rochester Community. COD trailed 29-26 with 1:03 remaining when quarterback Robert Brazziel found WR Fabian Baez from 16 yards on a third-and-goal play for the game-winning TD.
In 2022, the Chaps secured a title-game berth after going 8-2 in the regular season with both losses coming against D1 competition. Against top-ranked North Dakota State College of Science, the Chaps utilized a strong defensive presence and maintained possession of the ball in the final nine minutes of play for a 14-12 victory over the Wildcats.
COD was ranked first throughout much of the 2021 regular season and received an invitation to play in the inaugural National Championship game that was held at COD. The Chaps defeated second-ranked Nassau Community College 34-29 on Dec. 4, finishing with a 9-2 overall record and avenging an earlier season loss to the Lions.
He spent seven seasons as an associate head coach for the Chaps, and served in a variety of roles over the years, including offensive coordinator, co-defensive coordinator and as the program's director of operations.
Rahn started two seasons (2000-01) for the Chaparrals and went on to play at Hastings (Neb.) College. He played 13 seasons professionally of arena football (CIFL, IFL, UIF, AFL and CIF) and was an Ambassador to American Football in Brazil during his off-seasons from arena league play in 2010-12. He appeared in three professional arena championship games (2010, 2015, 2018) and helped his Sioux City Bandits win the 2015 Champions Indoor Football title.
He is a shining example of how football can change one’s life. After never starting a game before COD, Rahn went on to use football as a motivating factor to excel academically and eventually secure a scholarship and earn his degree.
Matthew Sr., Sarah and their son Matthew reside in Lombard.
