ATLANTA--Chase Hodges, who led Drake to the NCAA Championships three of the last four years, is the new head men’s tennis coach at Georgia State, Director of Athletics Cheryl L. Levick announced.
Hodges takes over the Panther program after a highly-successful four-year run as the head coach at Drake, which won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season or tournament title each of his four years. After compiling a sparkling 85-17 record with the Bulldogs, he owns a career record of 142-44 in eight seasons as a head coach, including stops at UNC Asheville and Longwood (Va.) University.
“Chase Hodges brings a resume of success that is the blueprint for what we want to build at Georgia State,” said Levick. “He has shown the ability to recruit top talent, to develop those individuals into successful players and students, and to win championships. With our commitment to a successful, broad-based athletics program, Chase is the perfect person to lead our men’s tennis team.”
The Missouri Valley Coach of the Year the last three seasons, Hodges tutored three MVC Player of the Year award winners and three Freshman of the Year honorees, while the Bulldogs boasted 16 all-conference selections in singles, along with six all-conference doubles teams, during his four years.
In 2008, Hodges presided over the most successful season in Drake history with an undefeated regular season, a 24-1 final record, the conference regular-season and tournament titles, a third straight NCAA berth and a No. 33 ITA national ranking, the highest ever for the Bulldogs.
Hodges arrived at Drake in 2005-06 and immediately built a winning team. The Bulldogs qualified for their first NCAA appearance since 1994 by capturing the 2006 MVC Championship and posting a 24-3 record for the most wins in school history. Drake earned its first-ever ITA national ranking that season.
His 2007 Drake team went 23-3 and swept the MVC regular-season and tournament championships. In 2009, Hodges guided his Bulldog squad to a 14-10 record and a third-straight MVC regular-season title before falling in the conference tournament.
During the past four seasons, Drake owned the nation’s longest regular-season winning streak at 42 matches and second-best home-court winning streak (47).
“I am really looking forward to the opportunity to build Georgia State men’s tennis into an NCAA-contender,” said Hodges. “My goal is to make this program one of the top programs in the CAA and the nation. It’s not going to happen overnight, but I am excited for the challenge.
“I couldn’t ask for a better time to be joining the Georgia State family, and I am very thankful to [Associate Athletics Director] Gail Barksdale and Cheryl Levick for giving me this opportunity. I am ready to get on campus and get to work.”
Hodges went to Drake following three seasons as the head coach at UNC Asheville, where he posted a 45-17 record, and one year as head coach at Longwood, which he led to a 12-10 record. At both schools, he also coached the women’s team, compiling a 48-31 mark in four seasons.
While at UNC Asheville, Hodges guided both the men’s and women’s programs to their first Division I national rankings in school history, while leading both teams to their highest win total.
Hodges also served as the head men’s and women’s coach at Longwood in 2001-02, when he piloted the women’s program to its first-ever national ranking with a 16-5 record. He led the men’s team to its second-best victory total (12).
The native of Hickory, N.C., played and coached in the Colonial Athletic Association at UNC Wilmington, where he earned his bachelor’s degree from UNC Wilmington in 1998 and then a master’s degree in 2001. He played two years at North Carolina State before transferring to UNC Wilmington.
Hodges began his coaching career at UNC Wilmington as a graduate assistant coach with the men’s team for three years. He then moved to Roanoke, Va., to serve as the tennis professional at the Roanoke Country Club for one year.
Hodges has a one-year-old daughter, Gabby.
The Georgia State men’s tennis program has earned four NCAA berths in the last 11 years, most recently in 2007, when the Panthers captured the CAA title and were ranked No. 37 in the nation.
