Love and Basketball: College Basketball Coach Matt Lynch Announces Engagement to Cody Aaron

 

Matt Lynch, the only publicly out head coach in men's college basketball, is engaged to boyfriend Cody Aaron -- and their love story appropriately began while Lynch was on a recruiting trip.

The USC Salkehatchie men's basketball coach was in Washington, D.C., more than two years ago hoping to recruit a player when he met Aaron, a high school tennis coach. 

Lynch says it was "love at first sight." In fact, he kept pushing back his flight home to South Carolina the next day just so they could spend more time together.

Aaron was supposed to head back to Texas after the DC Open, but Lynch persuaded him to make a detour to South Carolina for a few days -- joking that it was "on the way" to Texas.

"I did what I do best, I recruited him," Lynch told Outsports. "I'm the best recruiter this side of the Mississippi."

More than two years later, Lynch did some more planning, surprising Aaron with a proposal on Sept. 25 in Wilmington, North Carolina, during a friend's bachelorette weekend. 

Lynch had secretly arranged for both of their families and a group of friends to be there when he got down on one knee. Aaron said yes.

The timing was no accident: It was Lynch's last free weekend before basketball season, with his team due to play an offseason game the following Sunday.

"He knows it's basketball season," Lynch said of his fiance. "And then after the year, it's coaching carousel season."

Lynch has plenty to keep him busy. USC Salkehatchie competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association, and Lynch hopes eventually to land an NCAA coaching job. He has led the program to a winning record in each of his three seasons as head coach, including a combined 47-16 record over the past two seasons -- a .746 winning percentage.

He has done it all while being openly gay. Lynch was already out when the South Carolina school hired him and remains the only publicly out head coach in men's college basketball.

As for the wedding, basketball comes first for the moment. Lynch and Aaron are aiming for 2027, most likely next summer or early fall.

Not bad for a recruiting trip to Washington that landed Lynch something even better than a basketball player.