The 2023-2024 school year will mark the 26th year for Matt Bechard as the Director of Athletics at Cloud County Community College.
In 1998 Bechard became Cloud County Community College's third Director of Athletics, replacing Hall of Fame Coach and Athletic Director, Dennis Erkenbrack. Bechard provides leadership for the Thunderbirds' 10 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs, as well as the Cloud County cheer and dance programs. In Bechard's time at Cloud County, the T-Birds have won four NJCAA National Championships; Women's Basketball (2000-2001), Men's Soccer (2011) Men's Track and Field (2019), and Men's Cross Country (2019).
Cloud County made huge strides in a number of sports during the 2018-19 school year. The volleyball team and men's basketball team each saw 10-win improvements from the previous season, the baseball team recording it's first 30-win season since 1989, wrestling producing the program's first two NJCAA All-Americans, and the men's track and field team winning its first NJCAA national championship during the outdoor season.
Bechard has also helped lead the planning and fundraising efforts toward a proposed multi-million dollar multi-purpose athletic facility to provide additional practice space for all athletic programs on campus.
During the 2017-18 school year, Bechard also oversaw the construction of the new Dunning-Hamel Baseball Training Facility; a 5,250 foot heated practice facility used by the Cloud County baseball and softball programs. The "DH" was opened in March of 2018 and over $200,000 of funds were raised for the facility. The campaign was spearheaded by Cloud County baseball alumni Jim Dunning and Zach Hamel, each of whom generously provided lead gifts.
Bechard came to Cloud County in 98' following a four-year stint at Otis-Bison High School. At Otis-Bison, he was an instructor as well as a coach of three sports.
A Clyde, Kansas native, Bechard attended Cloud County Community College in 1987-1989. As a Thunderbird student-athlete, he excelled in Track and Field. Bechard is the current record holder in the Pole Vault at Cloud County at 16' 1." He competed in Track and Field under current Head Coach Harry Kitchener.
Following his career as a T-Bird, Bechard continued his educational and athletic pursuits at Wichita State University, where he won the 1990 Missouri Valley Conference indoor title in the pole vault. He'd earn his Bachelor's Degree from Wichita State in 1992.
Bechard attended Graduate School at Fort Hays State University. He was a graduate assistant under long-time Fort Hays Track and Field coach Dr. Jim Krob and assisted with the Track and Field program. In 1994, Bechard attained his Master's Degree in Sports Administration from Fort Hays State.
Bechard and his wife Christy, an independent insurance agent in Concordia, have three sons one daughter. Ethan is currently pursuing his doctorate in physical therapy. Billy graduated from CCCC in 2020 from the Wind Energy Program and currently works for Vestas in Maryville, Missouri. Zoe is a sophomore at CCCC and a member of the T-Bird volleyball team. Gehrig is in sixth grade and is a diehard T-Bird fan.
