Sports Analytics: UVA Football and Data Science

Matthew Edwards is Director of Football Analytics at the University of Virginia and uses data science to inform coaching staff and improve football performance. Edwards, who is a student in the online M.S. in Data Science program, grew up loving football and discovered that analytics combined his interest in numbers with the sport.

In his role as Director of Football Analytics, Edwards delivers actionable information to the coaches that help them make decisions quickly, efficiently, and increase the chances of winning. During games, he assists coaches to make real-time decisions, such as whether to go for a field goal or run the ball. During the off season, Edwards does deep dive analytics projects and explores ideas that may be beneficial for the team. One such project included analyzing penalties and how they affect the game, comparing UVA football stats to other ACC teams. Edwards will graduate in the spring of 2022 with his M.S. in Data Science.