Matthew Chachere Endowed Football Scholarship
The Matthew Chachere Memorial Scholarship honors former Mustang Football player, Matt Chachere, by financially supporting future football student-athletes as a symbiotic relationship between supporting the Cal Poly program and memorializing a remarkable Mustang Legend.
“Matt was a resilient man with great humility and a kind, loving heart. He acted with deep moral convictions and resolve. He had an uplifting, strong influence on all he met, worked alongside, and played. Matt was a bright light, extremely capable, never wanting to outshine others, and an uplifting and inspiring role model and leader. He cared for his family, friends, team, and coworkers in genuine and significant ways. His positive attitude, charming smile, huge laugh, and boundless sense of humor will leave a deep and profound void in our hearts and lives”- Ernie and Linda Chachere
Matt Chachere developed his passion and love for football while attending middle and high school in Cincinnati, OH. Matt’s goals were to obtain a scholarship and play at the college level. He achieved both at Cal Poly where he was awarded a scholarship, earned a starting role at Defensive End, selected for the all-conference team in 2005, and had one of his best performances in the Quarter Finals of the 2005 National Championship Game.
After graduating from Cal Poly, Matt returned to Cincinnati to teach special needs students and coach at his high school alma mater. This experience ignited a strong and unyielding passion to help those less fortunate. Matt returned to California in 2010. He accepted a position at E. & J. Gallo Winery as a workforce training specialist, where he was given the responsibility to shape and develop a high school internship program for students attending schools in underserved communities. Football also continued to be an important part of his life. Matt eagerly served as an assistant and high school head coach during his time living in Modesto, CA.
In 2022 Matt enthusiastically accepted an opportunity offered by E. &. J. Gallo Winery to relocate to San Luis Obispo. However, on November 21, 2022, Matt, his long-term partner, Jennifer, and their dog were tragically killed during their evening walk.
Each year, a student-athlete will be chosen as the recipient of “The Matthew Chachere Memorial Scholarship”. It will be awarded to a special student athlete to provide help, assistance, and inspiration in meeting their life goals. By establishing this memorial scholarship, Mustang football honors Matt for generations to come.
