A track coach who entered the Georgia coaches hall of fame last year was arrested Tuesday, accused of stealing from the booster club that funded his own program.
Matt Henson, 52, faces a felony theft by taking charge. An arrest warrant accuses him of taking more than $25,000 from the Parkview Track and Field Booster Club between January 2018 and December 2025, though it doesn't give an exact figure. He was released from the Gwinnett County Jail on $11,200 bond. The charge is an accusation, and no court has ruled on it.
Henson coached track and taught British and World Literature at Parkview High School in Lilburn, part of Gwinnett County Public Schools, until December 2025. His LinkedIn page now lists him as open to work.
The investigation started with the parents. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, families brought concerns about the booster club's financial management to school leadership, and the district looped in human resources, its internal auditors and law enforcement. The inquiry ran for months before Tuesday's arrest. Channel 2 Action News reached out to the district for comment and was waiting to hear back.
The timing is what stings for the track community. Henson was named Georgia track and field coach of the year in 2023, per the Gwinnett Daily Post, and in 2025 he was inducted into the Georgia Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame. "Being recognized with the group this year and all those before us is probably one of the most emotional moments in my career," he wrote on Facebook at the time. "Thank you to all who have been a part of my path. I am forever grateful to all of you."
The alleged theft window covers most of that celebrated stretch. Booster clubs sit in an odd spot in school finance: they're usually independent parent-run nonprofits outside the district's books, which means the first line of oversight is often a parent noticing the numbers don't add up
Sources
WSB-TV: Georgia high school coach hall of famer accused of stealing from track team's booster club
Fox 5 Atlanta: Former Parkview High track coach arrested, accused of theft
