Matthews, 28, will be touring with the women's Olympic volleyball team for one to two weeks this spring as it plays host to the Russian Olympic team in a series of exhibition matches.
Matthews also will assist the team's coaching staff during the Olympic Games in Atlanta, scheduled for July 21 through August 5. His duties during the Olympics may range from scouting opposing teams to tracking statistics.
In addition, the U.S.A. Volleyball program has asked Matthews to serve as director of the Youth National Team Camp, slated for July 7-21 at the Olympic training facilities in Colorado Springs, Colo. Some of the nation's top 17-year-old volleyball players are invited to that camp as a possible first step toward a spot on the women's national team roster.
As a prelude to the summer camp, Matthews expects to make at least a few weekend trips this spring as officials begin selecting players.
Matthews, who also directs the intramural program and teaches physical education classes at Whitman, plans to continue at the college until the end of spring semester classes on May 7.
"As my involvement with the U.S.A. volleyball program intensifies this summer, I would have little or no time to prepare for the fall volleyball season here at Whitman," Matthews said.
"When Terry Liskevych, who coaches the national team, asked me to get involved this summer, I was ecstatic. Directing the summer camp for 17-year-olds and taking part in the Atlanta Olympics are really a dream come true for me."
Matthews said he hopes to stay involved with the Olympic program in some capacity in the future. His more immediate career goal, however, is to coach at an NCAA Division I college or university. He is applying for a number of coaching vacancies.
Whitman is in the process of shifting its national athletic affiliation from the NAIA Division II to NCAA Division III.
Before coming to Whitman, Matthews served as an assistant women's volleyball coach at the University of North Carolina (UNC) for six seasons. During that time the Tar Heels finished no lower than third in the conference standings and won the conference two consecutive years while advancing to the NCAA Division I national tournament.
A native of North Carolina, Matthews was a two-year starter on the men's volleyball team at UNC. As a senior captain, he led the team in kills and hitting percentage and was voted team MVP.
Matthews earned a bachelor's degree in physical education at UNC and is completing his master's degree in education administration.
Whitman athletic director Max Seachris said the college has begun its search for a new volleyball coach.
"I am very sorry to see Eddie leave Whitman," Seachris said. "He has had a very positive impact on Whitman athletics. Eddie is an excellent volleyball coach and we wish him well in his Olympic coaching venture, and in his search for an NCAA Division I coaching position."
Matthews, who brought his second class of volleyball recruits to campus last fall, said he is pleased with progress he made in building a more competitive program at Whitman.
Whitman finished with a 6-22 won-loss record last fall, despite losing its most talented player to illness for half the season. With injury or illness sidelining other players for shorter periods of time, Matthews was unable to use his projected starting lineup until late in the season.
In the fall of 1994, with Matthews' first recruiting class gaining experience as freshmen, Whitman finished with a 4-22 record. Matthews, who was hired in August 1993, arrived on campus less than a month before the start of a season that saw Whitman win just one of 29 games.