Bevill State Community College is pleased to announce the appointment of Eli Matthews as the new Head Coach of the Women's and Men's Tennis Team. The 2021-2022 season will mark the start of a tennis program at the College. The Bevill State Tennis Program will be located on the College's Jasper Campus.
Bevill State Athletic Director Max Weaver stated, "We are very excited at Bevill State to be adding tennis to our Athletic programs. Tennis is growing in popularity in our communities and it's a great vehicle for BSCC to offer the next level collegiate athletic experience to students in our area high schools. I'm looking forward to our team beginning play in the 2021-2022 year against the quality competition that we have in the Alabama Community College Conference. We are very fortunate to have Eli Matthews on board as our tennis coach. He's very energetic and dedicated to getting our program started the right way and I think we will serve up (pun intended) a great team and a great experience for our students and fans! Go Bears!"
Matthews was AHSAA Tennis State Champion during high school. He attended and graduated from Birmingham-Southern, where he was a Birmingham Southern College Scholar Athlete. Since graduation, Matthews has been an assistant coach for both the Jasper Junior High School and Jasper High School tennis teams.
"I am humbled by this opportunity at Bevill State. To be able to build a program from the ground up is exciting and I have big goals for what these teams can, and will, accomplish. I have already started the recruiting process and I am confident that the foundation of our program will be built with local players," said Matthews.
Bevill State Community College President, Dr. Joel Hagood, commented, "Bevill State Community College is very fortunate to have Eli Matthews as our coach for the new tennis teams. He demonstrates not only the playing and coaching skills to lead our teams, but an enthusiasm to work with student-athletes and help them grow as athletes, students, and members of our community. His experience, knowledge of the game, and drive to be successful are going to be what builds the strong foundation for this program. Having tennis at the College is also a wonderful opportunity for student-athletes throughout the area. There is a great deal of tennis talent in the region. Players on the teams can attend any of our campuses as long as they are able to attend practices and games on the Jasper Campus. I look forward to watching this program grow."