American University has promoted Kyle Bailey, former AU student-athlete and assistant coach, to head men’s tennis coach, Athletics Director Dr. Joni Comstock announced Friday.

“Kyle was a standout student-athlete both academically and as a player and he made such a mark on the program this past year as an assistant coach, that we felt he would continue to build upon the success of the team,” said Associate Athletics Director Athena Argyropoulos.

Bailey, a native of Sinking Spring, Pa., spent last season as an assistant on a team that went 14-8 overall, 5-1 in the Patriot League and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. He takes over a program that will return six players and two starters while adding four new recruits to the roster. As an assistant, he was responsible for recruiting student-athletes, managing the team’s budget and creating the 2004-05 schedule. Bailey is finishing up his position as the Head Tennis Professional at the Sutton Racquet Club, where he manages the junior and adult tennis programs and heads up a marketing campaign that is responsible for increasing membership.

“I am thrilled at having the opportunity to coach a team that has meant so much to me in the past,” said Bailey. “One of the main reasons why I wanted the position was because of the great experience I had while playing here, and I wanted to be able to give that same quality experience to the student-athletes who will play for me. Our goals have stayed the same as they have been over the past few years, to continue to win the Patriot League Tournament and make it to the NCAA Tournament. We also looked to better our national standing by scheduling more top-tier opponents.”

As a student-athlete at American, Bailey excelled on the court as well as in the classroom. He was named team captain three out of the four years he played at AU, garnered team MVP honors and was a member of the All-Patriot League squad as a senior. He played in the number one doubles spot his senior year, and rotated between the number two and three position in singles.

Bailey graduated from AU in 2003, double majoring in Business Administration and Communications while being named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll in both his junior and senior seasons.