Brett Barnett, the 2012 and 2014 Summit League Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year, has been named head women’s tennis coach at University of South Dakota.
Barnett replaces Malcolm Gilreath, who had served the Coyotes since 2004. Barnett has led the men’s tennis team and been an assistant for the women’s team at Fort Wayne since 2012.
“We are excited to have Brett lead the Coyote tennis program,” said USD Associate Athletic Director Jamie Oyen, who spearheaded the search for a new coach. “With his successes at Fort Wayne, he has proven he can lead a successful tennis program in the Summit League on and off the court. We look forward to seeing what our team can accomplish under Brett’s leadership and we welcome him and his family to South Dakota.”
Barnett has been a USPTA P-1 Certified teaching professional for 14 years. He has worked at various tennis clubs around the United States including stints as the Director of Tennis at Trophy Club Country Club in Texas. He has also served as Head Pro at Fisher’s Island Club in New York and Grand Traverse Resort in Michigan where he coached four high school state champions.
Barnett joined Fort Wayne in 2011. In the spring of 2012, he led the men’s team to its first winning season since joining the Division I ranks and claimed a share of the Summit League regular season championship, the first in program history. In 2013, the Mastodons reached the semifinals of the Summit League Tournament. This past season, Fort Wayne finished 19-9 and reached the finals of the tournament. He was 40-37 in three seasons with the Mastodons.
