Matt Svehla is entering his 32nd season at Northeast as Head Women’s Basketball Coach.

The highlight for the Hawks during the 2024-25 season came on January 22 at home against Des Moines Area Community College when Northeast topped the visiting Bears to give Svehla the 700th victory of his illustrious career. Fan recognized Svehla on the court with his family after the matchup and Svehla had many thanks to go around for this accomplishment.

"You're appreciative to the institution, to your administration, coaches and the players," Svehla said. "Without all of them hiring you, giving you the resources you need and the players doing what you are asking them to do, none of it happens. You have to have all of the pieces in place, and it starts with having talented players. You try to steer them in the right direction and hopefully good things happen."

The Hawks again hosted DMACC during the Region 11-A Semifinals in a matchup they won 62-58 in postseason play. Northeast fell to No. 1 Kirkwood Community College in the Region 11-A Championship.

Mia Wiederin and Aaliyah Jones were both named First Team All-Region at the conclusion of the season and Clara Garrote was named Third Team All-Region. Both Wiederin and Jones were named to the Region 11-A All-Tournament Team. Jones was also named ICCAC Athlete of the Week twice throughout the season. The Hawks finished the year with a record of 21-9.

In 2023-24, Allison Richards was named First Team All-Region and also was named ICCAC Athlete of the Week during the week of January 15-21. Richards was a dominant force for Northeast throughout the season as she finished with 963 career points.

The Hawks finished with a record of 17-12 during the 2022-23 season as Allison Richards was named First Team All-Region, Analyssa Maldonado was named Second Team All-Region and Stevi Fallis was named Third Team All-Region. Northeast took down Iowa Lakes Community College in postseason on the road during the Region 11 Tournament Quarterfinals by a final score of 46-43.  

The 2021-22 season saw ups and downs as the Hawks finished the regular season as winners of four of their final contests. Sophomore Ashley Hassett was named a Third Team All-American for her efforts during the season. Hassett averaged 20.5 points per game, 9.7 rebounds per game and 2.5 steals per game in her second season in a Northeast uniform. Hassett was also a First Team All-Region selection after she led the ICCAC in scoring. Freshman Autumn Dickmander was also named a Third Team ICCAC All-Region selection.

The COVID-19 pandemic didn't deter the Hawks from a successful season during the spring of 2021. The Hawks won the last five out of six games and made a return trip to the Region XI championship. Ashley Hassett and Taylor Peter were named First Team All-Region honorees, while Patricija Peric and Breanna Stouffer earned Honorable Mention accolades.

Coach Svehla led the Hawks back to the Region XI Championship in 2020, before falling to Iowa Western Community College and ultimately bringing home a second-place finish. The Hawks finished with an overall record of 27-4, including wins over Snow College, Iowa Western and North Dakota State College of Science. Kyla Moore was named an NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention after a breakout sophomore season. Moore also earned First Team All-Region honors, while Beth Matas and Emina Hadzihusejnovic were also named First Team All-Region recipients. Freshman Breanna Stouffer and Lorna Maxon were named to the Honorable Mention All-Region team for their efforts on the court.

During the 2018-19 season, Svehla guided the Hawks to another winning season, his 25th overall as a head coach at Northeast. The Hawks made a return trip to the Region XI Championship game for the third time in the past five years. Irene Sanz was named an NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention, while Lauren Hunstad and Sanz were named First Team All-Region. Freshmen Kyla Moore and Eriana Brown earned Honorable Mention All-Region.

Prior to competing in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference, Svehla recorded 15 conference championships in the Nebraska Community College Conference in its 18 years of existence, followed by three championships in the ICCAC. Coach Svehla’s teams have made several appearances in the national rankings, including a recent Region XI Championship in 2018.

Throughout the years, Svehla has believed in playing up-tempo basketball, but he has always placed an emphasis on execution, fundamentals and defense. On the recruiting trail, Svehla has had good success in recruiting Nebraska talent, as well as attracting student-athletes from throughout the United States and around the world. The talent that he recruits is a reason for his program’s success, and he places great value on the character and attitude that his teams exemplify.

He believes coachable talent that plays hard and plays together is a formula for success. Team members have also benefitted from the program’s success, as many have gone on to play at NAIA colleges and NCAA universities, including: Maddie Egr (Midland University), Megan Trinder (University of Oregon), Ivana Vuletic (University of South Florida), Emily Moran (North Dakota State University), Melanie Bremer (Iowa State University), Monet Williams (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) and Kyla Moore (William Penn University).

A native of Clarkson, Nebraska, Coach Svehla earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his Master’s degree from Wayne State College. Svehla also played for the Nebraska Huskers Men’s Basketball team from 1987-1989. He and his wife, Carol, have two sons, Sedrick and Jamison.