Saturday, January 6, 2024, I was living in Nashville and had recently moved into my townhouse. I was heading out to run errands when I stopped to say hi to my neighbor and longtime friend, Elizabeth Nord, who was outside with her dog, Fozzie. She invited me to meet her and her husband for drinks later that day because, as she casually mentioned, “Matt has a friend in town.” With no other plans, I agreed and met them at Sonny’s Pub in Germantown, fully expecting to stay for just a couple drinks with Lizzy. That’s where I met “Matt’s friend,” Max. Max was in town for a college football coaching convention—at the time, he was the Missouri State University Offensive Line coach—and we quickly got to talking about college athletics, NIL deals, and a mix of other topics that became a bit fuzzy after a few too many Montuckys and vodka sodas. At some point, he even convinced me to sing karaoke with him (my first and last time, for the record). Meeting Max felt like catching up with an old friend. You could say the rest is history. Well, history included a full year of long distance with countless 6.5-hour drives between Springfield and Nashville, meeting each other’s families, surviving our first football season together (if you know, you know), and eventually me leaving Nashville to move to Springfield. Then, in true college football fashion, life shifted again after nine months, taking us to Muscle Shoals for Max’s new job at North Alabama. Then, just four weeks after settling in, he was offered a position at the University of Louisville, which he accepted (and yes, we can laugh about it now). To celebrate one of our final weekends in the Shoals, we planned a night at 360 Grille, a rotating restaurant overlooking the Tennessee River. Before dinner, Max suggested we stop by McFarland Park to enjoy the view. It was a beautiful day, so we walked along the river for a bit—until I turned around and found him down on one knee. We celebrated over dinner that night, and it was truly perfect—just the two of us. Now, we’re in Louisville, loving the city and this season of being engaged, and feeling incredibly grateful for all the moments that led us here… especially the one where Fozzie needed a quick bathroom break. We can’t wait to celebrate with you next February in a city that means so much to us.

I was in Nashville the weekend of January 6, 2024 for work. Every year in early January the American Football Coaches Association holds a convention where coaches across the country meet to network, interview for jobs, and listen to various speakers on different topics in the football world, specifically College Football. One of my best friends and former teammates at Western Kentucky University, Matt Nord, lives in Nashville. He and his wife, Lizzy, graciously offered to let me stay with them while I was in town. With the conference not starting until Sunday, the Nords' and I took advantage of a beautiful winter day in Nashville and went out on the town to meet friends and watch NFL playoff games. When we arrived at Sonny’s karaoke bar, I completely forgot that Lizzy said she ran into a friend while walking the dog (Fozzie) earlier and invited her to join us… When I first met Kennedy, I’ll never forget the way her beautiful smile and warm personality captivated me from the second I met her. We immediately bonded over conversation about us both being former D1 athletes. Hot topics were discussed (in between my karaoke songs) including the current landscape of college athletics, and whether or not I could convince her to get up on stage and sing a song with me. After one more drink she agreed and sang some Toby Keith with me - and the rest was history…. After doing long distance for a year with many 6+ hour long drives, I was able to convince Kennedy to move to Springfield, MO with me, as I was the Offensive Line coach at Missouri State at the time. Things took a turn after the 2025 football season as I found myself and Kennedy moving to a new place - Muscle Shoals, AL to work at the University of North Alabama. I was planning to propose to Kennedy soon, but shortly after arriving in Alabama, opportunity at the University of Louisville presented itself that we couldn’t pass up. Knowing I couldn’t ask Kennedy to move yet again without asking her to be my wife first, I proposed on February 28th down on the banks of the Tennessee River at McFarland Park in Florence, Alabama. Seeing her face light up when she saw me on a knee was the best feeling in the world - the same smile I fell in love with 2 years before. Kennedy and I are now enjoying being engaged and can’t wait for the next chapter of our lives!