July 17, 2020

Buckhannon, WV -- West Virginia Wesleyan has hired Jay Evans as its new Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach. Evans will make the transition to WVWC after spending the last three years as the Head Coach at Davis & Elkins. 

After a distinguished playing career at Piedmont College (Ga.), Jay Evans has served as the Head Coach for Lakewood High School (2015-2017) in St. Petersburg, FL and for Mountain East Conference-member Davis & Elkins (2017-2020). In 2018, Evans coached his Senator men and women to the GMAC Conference Tournament, and led both programs to be named ITA All-Academic Teams in 2019. During his time in Elkins, he also coached five GMAC All-Conference athletes, including the 2018 GMAC Men's Freshman of the Year. 

Athletic Director Randy Tenney is excited about the hire, stating "We are thrilled to announce Jay Evans as our new Head Tennis Coach. During this process, Jay has proven himself to be the right individual to lead West Virginia Wesleyan Tennis into the future through his experience and his ability to develop talent."

Q + A with Jay Evans

New Head Coach Jay Evans sat down to discuss his new position, and what experiences he's bringing with him to Buckhannon:

Q: What excites you about leading West Virginia Wesleyan Tennis?
 
A: "I'm excited to return to the Mountain State and take over a program with such a rich history. There's such a great amount of talent between the two teams and a really strong, established team culture that I'm excited to add my flair to, while instilling the values I cherish so much in a team atmosphere.

I'm also really excited to take over a program with an attractive facility, as I think that's such a huge piece in recruiting. Having one indoor court on campus is a massive boost for performance and recruiting."

Q: Does your experience at Davis & Elkins help you make this transition?
 
A: "I think the familiarity with the Mountain East Conference and Atlantic Region really helps, as I know where WVWC currently stands and where it's capable of going, as well as the recruiting both in-state and out of state. I learned a lot in my three years at D&E and am looking forward to using those lessons and experiences to make the WVWC programs and athletes achieve the successes that they are capable of, as well as a hunger within to learn from my own shortcomings and show people what I'm truly capable of as a coach, leader, and mentor."

Q: Can you talk a little about your goals for West Virginia Wesleyan Tennis in 2020-2021 and beyond?
 
A: "First and foremost, from a performance standpoint I want to continue the programs' successes in the MEC, including continuing the NCAA Tournament streak on the men's side. I also want to continue to develop the women's program, keeping the Bobcats as a perennial conference tournament contender. Long-term I want to see national and regional rankings on both sides, as well as continuing the solid academic tradition of the two programs.
 
From a recruiting standpoint, I want to continue to bring in high-quality student-athletes from all over the world, but specifically improving the domestic recruiting. My goal is to have a roster that features a diverse mix of both American and international student-athletes."


Championship Contenders

On the men's side, the Bobcats have won three consecutive MEC Championships, and were 5-3 in 2020 before the season was ended due to Covid-19. The Lady Bobcats are coming off an MEC Semifinals appearance in 2019.