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Louie Matsakis, a former collegiate placekicker and punter, is YSU's special teams and recruiting coordinator and running backs coach. The kickers and tailbacks continue to thrive under his leadership.

In 2012, tailback Jamaine Cook capped one of the best careers in school history. Cook rushed for 4,052 yards on 811 attempts and scored 39 touchdowns from 2009-12. He is just the second player in school history to eclipse the 4,000-yard barrier. Cook rushed for more than 100 yards on 20 occasions in his final three years with the program. He did set the school mark for career all-purpose yardage during his YSU career.

For the season, Cook rushed for 1,279 yards on 279 carries and scored a career-best 15 touchdowns. Despite having the second-highest per game total in league games only (122.9) he was a second-team All-MVFC selection. Of the 25 rushing touchdowns scored by YSU, 22 were scored by a tailback.

In the past three seasons, YSU placekickers are 21-of-26 on field-goal attempts (80.8 percent). Senior David Brown capped his career off on a high note drilling a career-long 47-yard field goal in the season-finale win over Indiana State. Brown also began the 2012 season by making 34 consecutive PAT kicks. In his career he converted 95 point-after tries. Junior punter Nick Liste had a career-long 67-yard kick in 2012 and averaged 40.7 yards on just 37 punts. He placed 11 inside the 20-yard line and had five kicks of 50-yards plus.

In 2011, Cook was a first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection. It was the first time since 2006 that the Penguins had a back selected to the first team. Cook, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, tied a school record with six straight 100-yard rushing games and finished the season with 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns on 271 carries.

YSU's five tailbacks combined for 2,330 yards on 420 carries and scored 23 touchdowns. Combined in the past two years under Matsakis, the Guins' backfield has produced 50 touchdowns. The Penguins had rushed for 25 total in the two years prior to his arrival. 

In 2011, the offense as a group set school records for total yards per game (458.6) and points per game (36.2). In the 11-game regular season, YSU was the lone FCS program to rush and pass for more than 2,500 yards. Youngstown State ranked fifth nationally in total offense per game and seventh in per game scoring. Additionally, the Penguins ranked 10th in rushing offense (231.1 yards per game).

Brown attempted 56 PAT kicks, the second most in school history, while his 53 conversions tied for the second most. At one point he connected on 35 straight kicks. Liste remained steady averaging 39.8 yards per kick, with 16 being placed inside the opposition's 20 and eight kicks of 50 yards or more.

He coached an all-league selection at both positions as well as tailback in his first year with Youngstown State in 2010.

Cook and senior placekicker Stephen Blose were second-team All-MVFC selections while Liste was an honorable-mention pick.

Cook rushed for 1,276 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in 2010. He had six 100-yard efforts, highlighted by a 213-yard performance at Illinois State.

YSU's tailbacks rushed for 27 scores on the campaign, including a freshman-record-tying 11 by Adaris Bellamy.

Blose had one of the best seasons by a placekicker in YSU history. He scored 74 points while making 12-of-14 field-goal attempts, including his last 11, and 38-of-40 PATs. Blose set a school record during his career of 55 straight made conversion kicks.

Liste excelled in his first year as the Guins' punter. He averaged 41.4 yards per kick, the third-highest single-season average in school history. He had six kicks longer than 50 yards and placed 15 inside the opposition's 20-yard line.

The Penguins also ranked fourth in the FCS in punt returns by averaging a school-record 16.6 yards per return, including an 86-yarder for a score. YSU set a school record with a 96-yard return for a touchdown in 2011.

Matsakis came to Youngstown State after spending five of six seasons with the Kansas Jayhawks. From 2007-09 he was the Jayhawks' running backs coach and oversaw the special teams units. In 2004-05 he was a quality control coach.

In 2009, KU had a freshman running back lead the program in rushing for the first time since 2002 when Toben Opurum had a team-high 554 yards while scoring nine touchdowns. The Jayhawks averaged 41.3 yards per punt and made 13 field goals during the campaign. Individually, placekicker Jacob Branstetter drilled a 57-yard field goal against Oklahoma while punter Alonso Rojas was a candidate for the Ray Guy Award.

In 2008, KU running back Jake Sharp earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors finishing the year with 860 yards and 12 touchdowns. Sharp also became the first running back in school history to record 100 yards receiving in a game when he had 107 versus Iowa State. Branstetter set a school record with 49 consecutive PATs made and Rojas averaged 40.7 yards per punt. KU's punt return unit ranked 26th nationally averaging 11.58 yards per return.

In 2007, running back Brandon McAnderson rushed for 1,125 yards, while Sharp added 821, as the Jayhawks produced a potent one-two punch. The KU offense averaged 188.8 yards rushing while scoring 30 touchdowns. KU ranked second in the Big 12 and seventh in the NCAA in kickoff returns averaging 25.21 per return. He coached one of the greatest kickers in school history in Scott Webb. Webb drilled 18-of-26 field-goal attempts and 66 of 67 PATs on the season. Kick returner Marcus Herford was named the Big 12 Specialist of the Year after ranking second in the conference with a 28.6 yards per return average. Herford returned two kickoffs for touchdowns during the season.

The Jayhawks beat Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl 24-21 capping an impressive 12-1 campaign. In 2008, KU was 8-5 capping the year with an impressive 41-21 victory over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl.

At Capital in 2006, Matsakis was the special teams coordinator. He coached All-American and first-team all-league placekicker Matt Spitz and tutored first-team all-conference punt returner Thom Hausler. The Crusaders set a school record for wins in a season with 11 and advanced to the regional finals of the NCAA Division III Championships. Capital was ranked third in the final NCAA Division III poll.

In his first stint at Kansas from 2004-05, Matsakis assisted with the day-to-day operations and game planning alongside the special teams coordinator. Among his many administrative duties, he performed statistical analysis for the offense and special teams, performed self-scout and opponent scouting reports for the special teams coordinator and was involved in the areas of on-campus recruiting, camps and clinics. In 2005, KU won seven games, including a win in the Fort Worth Bowl.

Matsakis served as the special teams coordinator on the FCS level for Texas State in 2003 for his brother Manny. At Texas State, Matsakis developed All-Southland Conference punter Cory Elolf, who was ranked seventh nationally and first in the Southland in punting average (43.4 yards per punt). He also worked extensively with the Bobcat offense, which finished first in the conference and seventh nationally in total offense with 443.42 yards per game.

He served as special teams intern at Texas Tech from 2000-02 for Coach Mike Leach. While a member of the Red Raiders' staff, he was part of teams that played in the Tangerine (2002), Alamo (2001) and Galleryfurniture.com (2000) Bowls.

Matsakis was a three-year letterman as a placekicker and punter at Emporia State University from 1995-98. He set the ESU single-season record for most extra points made in a season with 47 and set single-game records with most PATs attempted and made with nine in 1998.

He completed a degree in finance from ESU in May 2000.

Matsakis and his wife Cori have two sons, Michael and Nicholas, and a daughter, Maia.