Dennis Taylor, head coach and longtime stalwart of the tennis team, will retire at the end of 2019.
Taylor, who has racked up 535 wins since taking over the program in 1987, enters this season ranking fifth amongst active NCAA Division I women’s tennis head coaches in win totals.
Over the span of his 32 years at UTM, Taylor has coached two national champions, 11 All-Americans, five OVC Players of the Year, three OVC Freshmen of the Year and 74 all-conference nominees.
“Simply put, Coach Taylor is one of the most impactful coaches in the history of UT Martin,” Skyhawk athletic director Kurt McGuffin told Sports Information.
“His Hall of Fame career sustained an incredible level of consistency and his student-athletes have continually carried on that legacy both on the court and in the classroom. We wish nothing but the best for Dennis in the future.”
Taylor’s coaching tenure began before UTM made the conference change to the OVC. Taylor guided the Skyhawks to back-to-back Gulf South conference titles and eventually helped the team transition from Division II to Division I in 1993.
Under Taylor’s guidance, the tennis program saw many improvements to their facilities and a larger recruiting base. He oversaw the upgrades to the Skyhawk Tennis Complex as it was rebuilt with new surface courts and an improved lighting structure for the first time in program history, according to Sports Information.
For the rest of Taylor’s tenure, the Skyhawks will play primarily in invitationals leading up to the regular season.
The team’s last performance with Taylor will be at the Roberta Alison Classic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Nov. 1-2.
UTM’s first opponent following Taylor’s retirement will be in-state rival Memphis, Jan. 20.
“I am really going to miss the challenge of taking a group of young high school players and developing them into a championship team,” Taylor said.
“I am leaving with enough great memories to last a lifetime thanks to the hundreds of players that have come through the program over the years. I have been extremely lucky to have had a career doing something that I enjoy.”
