TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State University has named three-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Matt Hill to lead the reinstated men's tennis program, Vice President for University Athletics and Athletic Director Ray Anderson announced today.
Hill has spent the previous four seasons as the head coach of the University of South Florida, leading the Bulls to three consecutive AAC team championships and a No. 17 final ranking among Division I programs this past season. USF advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season in 2016 after qualifying just twice in 10 previous campaigns prior to Hill's arrival.
Prior to his time at South Florida, Hill had two successful stops at a pair of nationally ranked SEC programs in Mississippi State and Alabama. Hill will be the Sun Devil program's first head coach since Lou Belken led the program from 1983 through 2008.
"Matt is a very talented and well-rounded young coach. His record is one of great success wherever he has been," said Anderson. "He has an established history of developing young talent and recruiting high-character student-athletes that are successful both on and off the court. Matt has demonstrated an incredible work ethic and we are proud that he has decided to apply that ethic to the building of a championship-caliber program at Arizona State."
The 2016 Bulls reached a program-best ranking of No. 13 in the nation before finishing in the Top 20 at No. 17. Hill coached two-time All-American Roberto Cid to a ranking of No. 2 in the nation, the best ranking of any tennis player, men's or women's, in program history. USF also played one of the toughest schedules, notching 16 wins over ranked opponents and playing just four matches against unranked foes.
In 2015, Hill guided the Bulls to their best finish as USF advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament after winning their second-straight conference championship while Oliver Pramming earned Most Outstanding Player honors.
The Bulls won the inaugural American Athletic Conference tournament in 2014 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hill coached Cid to the first-ever All-America honor in USF history as he made an impressive run in the NCAA singles tournament.
An accomplished recruiter, Hill took over the USF program and immediately brought in five players in his first recruiting class that were either ranked among the top 100 juniors in the world or had already earned professional ATP points. His 2013 and 2016 recruiting classes were both ranked in the top 10 in the nation.
Hill was also active in the academic and developmental success of the USF program. His 2015 squad was awarded the AAC Academic Excellence Award for having the highest GPA among team sports in the conference. His teams were consistently among the top performing academic programs at USF, finishing with the highest GPA among all men's teams in 2016.
Additionally, Hill oversaw the start of a capital fundraising campaign geared toward a $3 million renovation of the tennis facility and personally helped secure over half a million dollars toward that goal.
"I'm incredibly honored and humbled at the opportunity to restart the Sun Devil men's tennis program. There are many great players that have competed at Arizona State in the past and I think everyone, including myself, is incredibly excited to get this program back where it was and to take it to new heights as well," Hill said. "I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity and the trust that Ray Anderson, Don Bocchi and Scottie Graham have shown me and I look forward to getting started."
During Hill's five years as an assistant coach at Mississippi State, he helped the Bulldogs improve from a No. 58 ranking in 2008 and a No. 72 ranking in 2009 to top 20 finishes in his final two seasons, including a No. 11 final ranking in 2012 – the program's best finish since 1998.The Bulldogs posted the program's best record (20-7) since that same 1998 squad went 21-5.
Mississippi State went 9-2 in the powerful Southeastern Conference, finishing third in the league, and successfully defending the SEC Western Division title. The Bulldogs defeated 14 teams ranked in the top 50 and seven in the top 25 en route to earning an NCAA bid.
MSU earned a No. 20 final ranking in 2011 after producing a 14-9 record, while winning the SEC Western Division title with an 8-3 mark. Hill was instrumental in helping five Bulldogs to All-SEC honors, while supporting Per Nilsson to SEC Coach of the Year honors. He was recognized for his efforts by being named ITA Southern Region Assistant Coach of the Year and SEC Assistant Coach of the Year.
Hill's recruiting prowess shined with the Bulldogs as he served as the team's recruiting coordinator, bringing in seven players that were either ranked in the top 100 among the world's juniors or became ranked in the top 125 players in the country upon arriving at Mississippi State. His 2009 recruiting class was ranked 13th in the nation.
While at MSU, Hill and the Bulldog staff had one of just three programs with five singles players ranked in the Top-75 nationally while his efforts in promoting the team helped grow the fan base by over 600 percent with the Bulldogs ranked in the top 5 nationally in average attendance during the 2009 and 2011 seasons.
Prior to joining the Bulldogs' staff, Hill served as a volunteer assistant coach at Alabama for two seasons. He helped the Crimson Tide improve from a No. 56 final ranking the season before he joined the staff to a No. 14 ranking in 2007, his second year with the program. Hill helped coach five nationally ranked players and helped Alabama reach two NCAA Tournaments during his stint, including a trip to the round of 16 in 2007.
A native of Holt, Mich., Hill earned a degree in business marketing with a specialization in professional tennis management from Ferris State University in 2005 and a master's degree in human performance from Alabama in 2007. Also a member of the tennis team while at Ferris State, Hill helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the first time in school history.
Adding to his credentials, Hill is a member of the USTA High Performance Coaching Program, and has coached the Zonals National Team for the Southern Section during the summer. Hill is a Level I USPTA Professional with a Specialization in Competitive Player Development. He also previously served on the board for the USTA Collegiate Team Committee to help increase tennis affinity across all college campuses in the South.
About Sun Devil Men's Tennis
In May, Ray Anderson announced the immediate reinstatement of the men's tennis program through a lead gift of $1M from he and his wife, Buffie, to bring the total of varsity-sponsored sports at ASU to 26. Arizona State has added four new programs over the last 18 months. In addition to men's tennis, Arizona State elevated its National Championship-winning club ice hockey team to NCAA-status and added women's lacrosse and the emerging sport of women's triathlon.
In addition to several other high-profile collaborations, ASU and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the governing body for collegiate tennis, announced a strategic alliance that will collaboratively leverage resources to grow the sport of tennis locally, nationally, and globally. The ITA moved its headquarters from Princeton, N.J. to the ASU Tempe Campus.
Hill has spent the previous four seasons as the head coach of the University of South Florida, leading the Bulls to three consecutive AAC team championships and a No. 17 final ranking among Division I programs this past season. USF advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season in 2016 after qualifying just twice in 10 previous campaigns prior to Hill's arrival.
Prior to his time at South Florida, Hill had two successful stops at a pair of nationally ranked SEC programs in Mississippi State and Alabama. Hill will be the Sun Devil program's first head coach since Lou Belken led the program from 1983 through 2008.
"Matt is a very talented and well-rounded young coach. His record is one of great success wherever he has been," said Anderson. "He has an established history of developing young talent and recruiting high-character student-athletes that are successful both on and off the court. Matt has demonstrated an incredible work ethic and we are proud that he has decided to apply that ethic to the building of a championship-caliber program at Arizona State."
The 2016 Bulls reached a program-best ranking of No. 13 in the nation before finishing in the Top 20 at No. 17. Hill coached two-time All-American Roberto Cid to a ranking of No. 2 in the nation, the best ranking of any tennis player, men's or women's, in program history. USF also played one of the toughest schedules, notching 16 wins over ranked opponents and playing just four matches against unranked foes.
In 2015, Hill guided the Bulls to their best finish as USF advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament after winning their second-straight conference championship while Oliver Pramming earned Most Outstanding Player honors.
The Bulls won the inaugural American Athletic Conference tournament in 2014 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hill coached Cid to the first-ever All-America honor in USF history as he made an impressive run in the NCAA singles tournament.
An accomplished recruiter, Hill took over the USF program and immediately brought in five players in his first recruiting class that were either ranked among the top 100 juniors in the world or had already earned professional ATP points. His 2013 and 2016 recruiting classes were both ranked in the top 10 in the nation.
Hill was also active in the academic and developmental success of the USF program. His 2015 squad was awarded the AAC Academic Excellence Award for having the highest GPA among team sports in the conference. His teams were consistently among the top performing academic programs at USF, finishing with the highest GPA among all men's teams in 2016.
Additionally, Hill oversaw the start of a capital fundraising campaign geared toward a $3 million renovation of the tennis facility and personally helped secure over half a million dollars toward that goal.
"I'm incredibly honored and humbled at the opportunity to restart the Sun Devil men's tennis program. There are many great players that have competed at Arizona State in the past and I think everyone, including myself, is incredibly excited to get this program back where it was and to take it to new heights as well," Hill said. "I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity and the trust that Ray Anderson, Don Bocchi and Scottie Graham have shown me and I look forward to getting started."
During Hill's five years as an assistant coach at Mississippi State, he helped the Bulldogs improve from a No. 58 ranking in 2008 and a No. 72 ranking in 2009 to top 20 finishes in his final two seasons, including a No. 11 final ranking in 2012 – the program's best finish since 1998.The Bulldogs posted the program's best record (20-7) since that same 1998 squad went 21-5.
Mississippi State went 9-2 in the powerful Southeastern Conference, finishing third in the league, and successfully defending the SEC Western Division title. The Bulldogs defeated 14 teams ranked in the top 50 and seven in the top 25 en route to earning an NCAA bid.
MSU earned a No. 20 final ranking in 2011 after producing a 14-9 record, while winning the SEC Western Division title with an 8-3 mark. Hill was instrumental in helping five Bulldogs to All-SEC honors, while supporting Per Nilsson to SEC Coach of the Year honors. He was recognized for his efforts by being named ITA Southern Region Assistant Coach of the Year and SEC Assistant Coach of the Year.
Hill's recruiting prowess shined with the Bulldogs as he served as the team's recruiting coordinator, bringing in seven players that were either ranked in the top 100 among the world's juniors or became ranked in the top 125 players in the country upon arriving at Mississippi State. His 2009 recruiting class was ranked 13th in the nation.
While at MSU, Hill and the Bulldog staff had one of just three programs with five singles players ranked in the Top-75 nationally while his efforts in promoting the team helped grow the fan base by over 600 percent with the Bulldogs ranked in the top 5 nationally in average attendance during the 2009 and 2011 seasons.
Prior to joining the Bulldogs' staff, Hill served as a volunteer assistant coach at Alabama for two seasons. He helped the Crimson Tide improve from a No. 56 final ranking the season before he joined the staff to a No. 14 ranking in 2007, his second year with the program. Hill helped coach five nationally ranked players and helped Alabama reach two NCAA Tournaments during his stint, including a trip to the round of 16 in 2007.
A native of Holt, Mich., Hill earned a degree in business marketing with a specialization in professional tennis management from Ferris State University in 2005 and a master's degree in human performance from Alabama in 2007. Also a member of the tennis team while at Ferris State, Hill helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the first time in school history.
Adding to his credentials, Hill is a member of the USTA High Performance Coaching Program, and has coached the Zonals National Team for the Southern Section during the summer. Hill is a Level I USPTA Professional with a Specialization in Competitive Player Development. He also previously served on the board for the USTA Collegiate Team Committee to help increase tennis affinity across all college campuses in the South.
About Sun Devil Men's Tennis
In May, Ray Anderson announced the immediate reinstatement of the men's tennis program through a lead gift of $1M from he and his wife, Buffie, to bring the total of varsity-sponsored sports at ASU to 26. Arizona State has added four new programs over the last 18 months. In addition to men's tennis, Arizona State elevated its National Championship-winning club ice hockey team to NCAA-status and added women's lacrosse and the emerging sport of women's triathlon.
In addition to several other high-profile collaborations, ASU and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the governing body for collegiate tennis, announced a strategic alliance that will collaboratively leverage resources to grow the sport of tennis locally, nationally, and globally. The ITA moved its headquarters from Princeton, N.J. to the ASU Tempe Campus.