Lenoir-Rhyne University Athletics

Hired on May 4, 2016, Tom Rees is entering his third season as Lenoir-Rhyne’s Head Men’s Tennis Coach and Director of Tennis.  This past year, Rees guided the Bears to an 13-9 record (4-6 in the SAC), their best record in program-history, coached three players to all-conference accolades and led the squad to their first appearance in the SAC tournament in program history.

Currently, Rees works in a travel coaching capacity on the professional tour with ATP players Jose Statham, and Marcos Giron. Statham is New Zealand's No. 1-ranked player and has been ranked as high as No. 279 in the world. Giron played college tennis  for UCLA, was the 2014 NCAA Singles Champion, played at the 2014 US Open vs. John Isner, and has a career high ranking of 238 in the world

Rees came to Lenoir-Rhyne after spending two years (2015-16) as Head Men and Women’s Tennis Coach at the University of Illinois Springfield.

In the spring of 2016, Rees led the men’s squad to its first winning campaign (13-13) in the NCAA Division II era while improving the women’s squad to program-best records in 2015 and 2016.

Rees mentored Jane Carter (the 2015 Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman Of The Year and a 2016 First-Team All-GLVC selection) while the women’s team won the GLVC Sportsmanship Award. The men’s squad garnered ITA All-Academic honors as well.

Prior to Illinois Springfield, Rees spent time as an Assistant Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, Ga.

Rees was voted on as the 2014 ITA Southeast Region Men’s Assistant Coach of The Year and led the team to a No. 23 national ranking and a trip to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

He developed the program's first-ever ITA All-American and All-Peach Belt Conference honorees. Rees also guided the Nighthawks’ women’s teams to program-best records in both 2013 and 2014.

A native of Worcestershire, England, Rees competed at the college level at UNC Asheville (2009-12) and Tusculum (2008-09). As a Bulldog, Rees played flights three through six at singles and flights one through three in doubles competition.

Rees totaled 67 combined victories and was the 2012 Big South Conference Flight No. 2 doubles champion. Rees was a two-time Big South All-Academic Team honoree (2011-12) as well.

Rees was the Pioneers’ top player at singles and doubles led Tusculum to a runner-up finish in the South Atlantic Conference and a No. 28 national ranking.

During the summer of 2012, Rees played on the International Tennis Federation's professional circuit in Europe.

Rees earned his undergraduate degree in French from UNC Asheville in 2012 and his master’s degree in public administration from North Georgia in 2014. Rees is a certified USPTA Professional Tennis Coach.

Rees is a certified USPTA Elite Professional Tennis Coach, and a certified iTPA Tennis Performance Trainer.