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Brian Boland Named Baylor Director of Tennis and Head Men’s Tennis Coach

Four-time national champion head coach selected to lead Bears

WACO, Texas – Baylor University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades announced Thursday the hiring of Brian Boland as Director of Tennis and Head Men’s Tennis Coach.

“Brian Boland is a four-time national champion and one of the most respected coaches in tennis. We are absolutely thrilled he is joining the Baylor Family,” Rhoades said. “Brian is a man of tremendous integrity who shares our common values of Preparing Champions for Life. His on-court credentials speak for themselves, and under his leadership our men’s tennis program will continue to compete for national championships while living out the distinctively unique mission of Baylor University.”

“My family and I are thrilled to be part of the Baylor Bears Athletic Department led by Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades and his team,” Boland said. “We are committed to Baylor’s mission and values, and we look forward to rejoining college tennis and continuing the tradition of excellence that has been established at Baylor.”

A four-time national champion with 21 years of head coaching experience, Boland won four national championships in a five-year span at Virginia before departing to become the head of men’s tennis for USTA Player Development in May 2017.

“I will miss my terrific colleagues at the USTA and will be forever grateful to the USTA for providing me with the opportunity to lead Men's Professional Development,” Boland added. “My time in Player Development was an extraordinary valuable experience. The USTA staff works tirelessly to make American tennis the best it can be. The leadership of Martin Blackman and his team is fantastic and I am forever grateful for the opportunity. PD has some of the finest coaches in the world and they are incredible people. The players competing on behalf of American tennis represent our country so well.”

Boland has amassed a 574-90 career record and led teams to 17 NCAA Tournament appearances. His teams have averaged less than one loss in conference play per season, going a combined 209-18 over 21 seasons.

Virginia finished top-10 nationally in each of the final 14 seasons in Boland’s 16-year tenure as head coach, including 11 consecutive seasons with a top-five final national ranking. He led the Cavaliers to national championships in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and UVA advanced to the national semifinals in 10 of his final 11 seasons, including each of the last eight years. His teams achieved No. 1 national rankings in 10 different seasons, won six ITA National Team Indoor Championships and 12 ACC Championships.

Virginia also won 13 consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles and went on a streak of 140 consecutive wins against ACC opponents, which is the longest winning streak in conference history in any sport.

Boland was recognized as ITA National Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2016. He’s a seven-time ITA Regional Coach of the Year and a 10-time conference Coach of the Year. Boland has coached 43 All-American, four NCAA Singles Champions, three NCAA Doubles Champions, 59 All-ACC selections, three ITA National Players of the Year, two ITA National Freshmen of the Year, 10 ITA Regional Rookies of the Year, four ACC Freshmen of the Year, 12 ACC Tournament MVPs and three ACC Players of the Year.

Boland’s first five years as a head coach were at his alma mater, Indiana State, where he led the program from 1997 through 2001. He posted a 121-32 record at ISU, including a 57-3 Missouri Valley Conference mark that included a perfect 36-0 league record over his final three seasons. He was recognized as MVC Coach of the Year in four of five seasons and was named 2000 ITA Region V Coach of the Year.

During his tenure at Indiana State, Boland also served as Director of Tennis at the Terre Haute Country Club. In addition, he and his wife Becky established the Sycamore Tennis Summer Camp, which drew hundreds of kids from across the state. On Sept. 29, 2016, he was inducted into the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame.

Boland earned a bachelor of science degree in political science from ISU in 1995. He and his wife, Becky, have four children, Briana, Bryce, Brendan and Brooke.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING …

Dick Gould, 17-time National Champion head coach at Stanford …

“Brian Boland is one of the most respected people in tennis both as a coach and person. He has the highest standards, ideals and ethics. Baylor has made a great hire of one of the world’s most outstanding coaches in any sport.”

Tony Bresky, head coach of 2018 National Champion Wake Forest …

“Congratulations to Baylor and Brian on their new partnership. I had the pleasure to work with Brian for 10 years and know how driven and determined he is. His past track record in college tennis speaks for itself and his passion and enthusiasm for building a program and teaching kids is infectious. Brian will be an outstanding representative of Baylor University, the athletic department and the Waco community. It’s an exciting day for college tennis and all Bear fans.”

John Isner, top American male on ATP Tour …

“Brian is the absolute best hire in the college tennis world. His resume speaks for itself. How he was able to turn UVA into a perennial power was extraordinary. There won't be a harder working coach in college tennis. I know he's excited to get going as a Baylor Bear.”

Tony Bennett, Virginia men’s basketball coach …

“This is great news for college tennis and even better news for Baylor tennis. I worked alongside Brian Boland for eight years at UVA and watched him create a dynasty. It was truly remarkable to watch him recruit, coach, and care for his student-athletes. I playfully referred to him as the John Wooden of tennis. His on the court record is nearly untouchable but what I loved was his impact on his players’ lives. Without a doubt, observing and knowing Brian has made me a better coach.”

Dave Fish, 42-year Harvard tennis coach …

“Brian is a proven winner, which I knew the first time I met him when he was at Indiana State. He knows how to galvanize the energies of an entire community. He knows how to build the infrastructure for a successful program, and he’s done it. He’s a bulldog in his tenacity for getting things done. He sets high standards, and he expects people to meet the high standards. He saw potential at Virginia where other people saw liability, and over time he produced a winner, and that’s what a person with vision does. College tennis is made better by keeping people of his ability and tenacity involved in the sport.”

Andres Pedroso, Director of Tennis and head men’s tennis coach at Virginia …

“In Coach Boland, Baylor Athletics has hired a world-class leader and someone who truly knows how to mentor and develop student-athletes at the highest level. Coach Boland was clearly an integral part of UVA’s incredible success over the years and he was a key player in building a tremendous community of support. Baylor Tennis has a lot to look forward to with Coach Boland at the helm.”

Michael Russell, retired professional player and current professional coach

"I have been privileged to work with Brian as his tennis and business acumen is unsurpassed already creating a dynasty at UVA, helping American tennis at the highest level and he will do an amazing job at Baylor. His drive and quest for success is unmatched."

David Geatz, Penn men’s tennis head coach …

“What a coup for college tennis that Brian Boland is returning. He is one of the top coaches in the history of our game. His return ensures Baylor will remain one of the top programs in the nation and will continue to compete annually for national championships. He’s a great recruiter, great coach and more importantly a great person. His teams always compete hard and with upmost sportsmanship. Congratulations to Baylor on bringing back a coaching legend.”

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