University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Men’s Tennis Coach Hand To Resign At End of 2023 Season
11.07.2022 | Men's Tennis
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville head men's tennis coach Tom Hand, who has led the program since 2013, announced on Monday that he will resign at the end of the upcoming 2023 season, stepping down after 15 years associated with Bulldog tennis. Hand is leaving to become the Director of Tennis at Biltmore Forest Country Club.
"The last 15 years here have been a wonderful experience," said Hand. "I am obviously excited to be starting a new chapter at Biltmore Forest Country Club, but there are plenty of things I will miss about UNC Asheville. This is a special place, and it has been a real privilege to work with some of the best coaches and dedicated staff members in the business. Mostly though, I am grateful to the incredible group of student-athletes that I have worked with over the years."
Hand enters the 2023 season with an overall record of 90-82 and is the program's all-time winningest coach. The Bulldogs 20 wins in 2019 stand as a program record and Hand was responsible for the recruitment of numerous heralded players including Henry Patten who won three straight Big South Player of the Year Awards and with doubles partner Oli Nolan achieved a No. 1 ranking in the country. The duo of Nolan and Patten secured a No. 4 seed in the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Doubles Championships and were named 2019 NCAA Division I All-Americans by the ITA.
"Tom has made our Bulldog Men's Tennis program into one of the best in the Big South Conference," said Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "He is an excellent coach who is loved and respected by his players and colleagues. His knowledge of tennis and ability to relate to a wide-range of people have made him a Champion and Leader during his tenure. We will always be grateful for Tom's leadership and service to our Bulldog family."
Hand has taken the men's tennis program to new heights, culminating in the 2021 season's perfect 5-0 record in conference play, which led Asheville to its first Big South regular-season title. Hand was named the Big South's Coach of the Year following that campaign and became just the second Asheville men's tennis coach to ever earn this accolade (Lise Gregory, 2012). Other highlights at Asheville prior to this season include: leading the team to its most conference wins (six) in 2016, a Big South Semifinal appearance in 2017, and a doubles national championship in the fall of 2018 at the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships won by Patten and Nolan.
UNC Asheville will begin a national search to find Hand's replacement.
"The last 15 years here have been a wonderful experience," said Hand. "I am obviously excited to be starting a new chapter at Biltmore Forest Country Club, but there are plenty of things I will miss about UNC Asheville. This is a special place, and it has been a real privilege to work with some of the best coaches and dedicated staff members in the business. Mostly though, I am grateful to the incredible group of student-athletes that I have worked with over the years."
Hand enters the 2023 season with an overall record of 90-82 and is the program's all-time winningest coach. The Bulldogs 20 wins in 2019 stand as a program record and Hand was responsible for the recruitment of numerous heralded players including Henry Patten who won three straight Big South Player of the Year Awards and with doubles partner Oli Nolan achieved a No. 1 ranking in the country. The duo of Nolan and Patten secured a No. 4 seed in the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Doubles Championships and were named 2019 NCAA Division I All-Americans by the ITA.
"Tom has made our Bulldog Men's Tennis program into one of the best in the Big South Conference," said Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "He is an excellent coach who is loved and respected by his players and colleagues. His knowledge of tennis and ability to relate to a wide-range of people have made him a Champion and Leader during his tenure. We will always be grateful for Tom's leadership and service to our Bulldog family."
Hand has taken the men's tennis program to new heights, culminating in the 2021 season's perfect 5-0 record in conference play, which led Asheville to its first Big South regular-season title. Hand was named the Big South's Coach of the Year following that campaign and became just the second Asheville men's tennis coach to ever earn this accolade (Lise Gregory, 2012). Other highlights at Asheville prior to this season include: leading the team to its most conference wins (six) in 2016, a Big South Semifinal appearance in 2017, and a doubles national championship in the fall of 2018 at the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships won by Patten and Nolan.
UNC Asheville will begin a national search to find Hand's replacement.
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