EMORY, Va. – Emory & Henry College Director of Athletics Myra Sims is pleased to announce that Steve Brooks has been selected as Interim Men’s & Women’s Tennis Coach. Brooks comes to E&H with more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 14 years at the NCAA Division I level. A nationwide search for the permanent Head Men’s & Women’s Tennis Coach will take place over the course of the spring.
“We were very fortunate to find a coach with Steve's experience and qualifications to take the interim head coaching position,” said Sims. “Losing our previous coach in January created a tough situation for the program. So I am very pleased for our student-athletes that they will get to work with a coach like Steve Brooks. He has a track record of success as a collegiate tennis coach and I'm sure that our players will learn a lot from him.”
Most recently, Brooks has owned and operated the Tri-Cities Tennis Academy, based in Bristol, Tennessee. Over the past seven years, the academy has produced junior players winning more than 70 state championships, six high school state championships, and 10 USTA Southern Section Championships. His players are beginning to reach college age and are receiving scholarships to NCAA Division I and II programs.
Brooks also served as Director of Tennis, Fitness and Aquatics at the Country Club of Bristol from 2010 to 2015. While there, he was responsible for all aspects of the tennis program and facility. He also managed the pool and fitness rooms, equipment, trainers and lifeguards year-round.
“I am very fortunate to be given the opportunity to coach at this great institution,” commented Brooks. “Everyone speaks highly of Emory & Henry. I am thankful to Myra for selecting me for this position.”
From 2001 to 2010, Brooks was the Head Women’s Tennis Coach at East Tennessee State University. He inherited a program which had four coaches in the past four years and guided the Bucs to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. In each of the final five years of his time in Johnson City, Brooks’ teams played in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Finals. His teams also boasted high academics with 60 academic all-conference selections, 27 ITA Scholar-Athlete selections, six ITA All-Academic teams, a Fulbright Scholar and a NCAA Sportsmanship Award winner.
In addition to ETSU, Brooks has coaching stints at The Citadel, Wofford College, the University of Tennessee, the University of Arkansas and his alma mater, Carson-Newman College.
As a collegiate player, Brooks earned undefeated conference records in both singles and doubles all four years of college. The winningest player in C-N history with 200 victories, Brooks was ranked as high as No. 8 nationally in NAIA in 1984.
A native of Jefferson City, Tennessee, Brooks earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Carson-Newman in 1985. He completed his master’s degree in administration/recreation at Tennessee in 1989. Brooks currently resides in Bristol.
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