The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Tennis
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- padgett@uakron.edu
- Phone:
- (330) 338-3721
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In his ninth season in 2018-19 as head coach, Brandon Padgett wasted little time putting his mark on the Akron tennis program.
Appointed ITA Midwest Regional Chair in 2016, Padgett has guided Akron to a 141-72 mark in eight seasons as head coach. Padgett is one of 12 regional chairs in the United States. As regional chair, Padgett oversees the Midwest Regional Committee and will be a member of the ITA National Rankings Committee as well as the ITA National Tournament Committee. In these roles, Padgett is responsible for voting on the Oracle/ITA National Preseason Singles and Doubles Rankings and the Oracle/ITA National Freshman/Newcomer Rankings. He also helps to determine the at-large and wild-card selections for ITA National Tournaments. Furthermore, Padgett assists in overseeing the Midwest Region’s Awards Program.
He led his first two Zips squads to Mid-American Conference Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011 and 2012 – the first two in the history of the program.
In 2017, Akron went 23-4 overall and 7-1 in MAC play to earn the No. 2 seed for the tournament. Fueled by eight returners and a true freshman, the Zips set the school record with a 22-match winning streak (Feb. 4-April 22) and were undefeated in conference play until the final regular-season match. Padgett was named the MAC Coach of the Year.
In 2013, the UA doubles team of seniors Angelina Jogasuria and Prang Pantusart was selected to compete in the NCAA Doubles Championship, after the entire team advanced to the semifinal round of the MAC Tournament for the fourth-consecutive year and fourth time in program history. Jogasuria and Pantusart ranked 43rd nationally in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll.
Since 2010, the team has placed 19 student-athletes on the All-MAC Team and performed off the court as well, with 20 Zips chosen as Academic All-MAC. The program earned the ITA’s All-Academic Team Award in 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 while also placing a total of 33 student-athletes on the ITA Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll since Padgett’s first season.
Under Padgett, the Zips have faced an increasingly competitive non-conference schedule and met it head on with victories in recent years over Big Ten foes Michigan State and Penn State as well as SEC member Kentucky, Big East opponents Cincinnati and Louisville, and Oregon of the Pac-12.
Padgett was named to his post on Oct. 13, 2010. He took the reins of the Zips’ program after three-plus seasons at Kennesaw State and replaced Jeffrey Wyshner, who accepted the women’s head coaching position at Wake Forest in August 2010. Wyshner was at UA for four seasons.
Padgett inherited an Akron program that was coming off what was arguably the most successful season in program history in 2009-10, in which it posted a program single-season record for league wins (7-1) and tallied the most overall victories (19-3) since the 1990-91 squad went 26-6. Additionally, the Zips opened the dual-match portion of their season with a 15-match win streak and were the nation’s last undefeated Division I squad.
Padgett was named head coach of the women’s team at Kennesaw State, located in Kennesaw, Ga., in March 2007 and in 2008 started up the varsity men’s program. He led both teams until February 2010, at which point he was elevated to director of tennis operations, while maintaining the title of women’s coach.
During his playing career, he was an all-conference performer and doubles champion at Miami (Hamilton) University, where he helped lead his team to the conference championship in both his freshman and sophomore seasons (1994 and ‘95).
Padgett received his undergraduate degree in health and sports studies from Miami (Ohio) in 1999 and received a master’s degree in physical education from West Virginia in 2001. In 2011, he received the Etcheberry Certification in Strength, Conditioning and Movement in Sport.
Padgett, 43, and his wife Jessica have a daughter Addyson.
THE BRANDON PADGETT FILE
HEAD COACHING CAREER
Year School Overall Conf. (Finish) MAC Tourn.
2006-07 Kennesaw State 4-18
2007-08 Kennesaw State 8-12
2008-09 Kennesaw State 11-9
2009-10 Kennesaw State 12-12 4-6 Atlantic Sun
Four Seasons 35-51 (.407)
2010-11 University of Akron 20-5 7-1 (2nd) Champs #
2011-12 University of Akron 24-4 7-1 (2nd) Champs #
2012-13 University of Akron 18-10 5-3 (3rd) #
2013-14 University of Akron 10-15 0-8 (9th)
2014-15 University of Akron 11-11 3-5 (7th)
2015-16 University of Akron 15-10 5-3 (4th)
2016-17 University of Akron 23-4 7-1 (2nd)
2017-18 University of Akron 20-13 3-5 (T5th)
8 Seasons 141- 72
Career 12 seasons 176-123 (.588)
# NCAA Tournament Appearance
ASSISTANT COACHING CAREER
2003-04 - Dayton
EDUCATION
1999 - Bachelor’s in Health & Sports Studies, Miami (Ohio)
2001 - Master’s in Physical Education, West Virginia
2011 - Etcheberry Certification in Strength, Conditioning and Movement
COLLEGIATE PLAYING CAREER
1994-95 - Tennis - Miami (Ohio)
Two-time MAC team champions (1994, 1995)
All-MAC performer
MAC doubles champion
COACHING HONORS
2017 - Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year
