Born in Woodbury, N.J., from Bruce and Joanne Coin, Matt attended Lafayette College in Easton, Penn. for two years, then attended Gateway Regional High School, then graduated from UC-Santa Barbara with a degree in Sociology.

He finished the 2004 season with a 13-9 overall record and a 12-8 dual match record; went 7-1 at No. 6 singles; paired with Nick Edlefsen at No. 3 doubles where they recorded a 6-4 mark.

After his college tennis team van nearly crashed, Matt Coin decided it was the perfect time to tell his teammates a secret. "I told them that I was dating someone and that it was a guy." One teammate replied: "Oh, [you're dating] the hot Abercrombie-looking guy"

When Matt came out as a tennis player in 2005, he was not ready for the thousands of e-mails he received.

"When I wrote an article for Outsports in 2005 on my coming out experience as a collegiate tennis player at the University of California at Santa Barbara, I was unprepared for the onslaught of e-mails I was to receive, e-mails that still come in and continue to move me."