How do you measure success as a coach?
“I measure success by the quality of the experience we can provide for the student-athletes. The scoreboard matters and is part of that experience, but ultimately I want them to be better people from being a part of our program that will help them stay connected to each other and to Muhlenberg for years to come,” said Muhlenberg’s new Head Tennis Coach Doug Maynard.
Muhlenberg’s tennis program recently announced the exciting hire of their new head coach, Doug Maynard, a certified U.S. Professional Tennis Association elite. Some of his accolades extend to winning Big South Conference men’s coach of the year in 1986 while at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Asheville (a Division I program) and coaching six men’s and women’s All-Americans. These All-Americans included the 2022 ITA Cup women’s doubles national champion and the 2023 NCAA Division III women’s doubles national champion.
A standout tennis player himself, Maynard was inspired to get into coaching early on. He said, “I was fortunate to have excellent coaches when I was growing up and had experience with world-class players and coaching regularly early in my career. They had a profound impact on me personally and in my development as a player and coach. I became interested and enjoyed the process and success of developing as well as the results.”
In high school, Maynard was crowned the North Carolina state singles champion and was ranked top 15 nationally while a collegiate player at UNC at Asheville. He went on to be named Asheville’s 1983 Male Athlete of the Year.
Aside from using his own experiences to guide his athletes to success on the courts, his coaching values include a strong focus on their overall personal growth. Coach Maynard explains, “The opportunity to have an impact and share in the lives of student-athletes is special. Seeing the athletic and personal growth of young men and women along with their development of lifelong relationships is very rewarding.”
He reveals his immense pride and excitement in fulfilling the new position, “I’m excited about the opportunity to continue building a program with outstanding student-athletes who are attracted to the excellent academic, athletic, and community culture here at Muhlenberg. I look forward to competing in a very strong conference that boasts some of the nation’s top Division III tennis programs. The athletic administration, coaches, and staff are very supportive and I’m happy to be reunited with our new assistant coach and former coaching colleague, Dennis Olenik.”
After a strong fall season, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams are ready to build on their established competitive edge. Their spring season sounds off this Saturday, Feb. 17, in an away conference match against Johns Hopkins University.
Isaac Shulman ‘25 expresses, “Coach Maynard has injected a lot of excitement as we gear up for the season. We’re approaching every practice with a plan to build up our skills and tactics. We’re aiming for a strong spring season, building on our successes from the fall. With the momentum that we have gained, we are determined to elevate our performance and make a big jump this season.”
Although there has been limited time between Coach Maynard’s arrival and the onset of the spring season, the transition seems to be natural and organized. Josh Simon ‘27 elaborates, “So far our practices have been very well laid out. We’re able to get a lot of work done with the limited space we have.”
Coach Maynard is setting the standards high from the start, “My first goal is to continue building a culture that inspires student-athletes to develop as young men and women and tennis players. We have goals to compete at a higher level in the conference and to recruit outstanding student-athletes that will impact our program, the college, and the community.”
Simon continues, “Coach Maynard is what this team needs in terms of a leader and coach.”
