Central College Athletics

Matt Paulsen joined the Central football staff as an assistant coach in 1998.

A 1997 Central graduate, Paulsen was an all-American defensive back for the Dutch and a four-time letterwinner. He was a three-time all-Iowa Conference selection, the 1997 team MVP, and holds the school career interceptions record (18).

He spent the summer of 1999 playing for a club team in Germany. A Waverly-Shell Rock High School graduate, Paulsen was raised on a farm near Plainfield, Iowa and is a two-time selection to the All-American Farm team named by Successful Farming magazine. He is employed by PPI of Pella.

Paulsen and his wife, Tracy, have three children

Achievements

Central College

• Team has 217-63 (.775) record, 170-44 (.794) mark in conference games in his 27 seasons
• (10) NCAA Division III playoffs appearance – 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 2019, 2021
• (10) Conference championships – 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 2019, 2021
• (2) Conference coaching staff of the year – 2019, 2021
• (20) All-conference performers in his position group

Athletics career

Central College

• Team had 33-7 (.825) record, 29-3 (.906) mark in conference games in his four seasons
• (4) varsity letters earned
• (1) Hewlett-Packard Division III SIDs All-American, first team – 1998
• (1) Football Gazette All-American, second team – 1998
• (1) NCAA Division III playoff appearances
• (2) All-Iowa Conference, first team - 1996, 1997
• (1) Iowa Conference championships
• (1) Herema-Schilder Award (team MVP) - 1997
• 205 career tackles, 10.5 tackles-for-loss, 2 fumbles recovered, 18 interceptions, 39 passes defended