Paul Goode enters his second season as head tennis coach for both men and women at Lees-McRae College.  The Boone, North Carolina native spent his first year focusing on bringing in the type of talent that will lead the Bobcats to the top of the Carolinas Virginia Athletic Conference. 

Goode has recruited 15 freshmen (7 men and 8 women), making this one of the biggest recruiting classes in program history.  “This team is committed to becoming a conference contender, and I believe it is only a matter of time and effort before this team achieves that status,” according to Goode.  “This is collectively one of the hardest working teams I have been around, and I look forward to the coming season to see what they are capable of.”   

Goode has amassed a list of playing achievements that includes a second place finish in the 2005 National Clay Court Championships in the Open division.   “I still enjoy playing and I play tournaments whenever my schedule allows.  I love the aspect of one-on-one competition that tennis offers.”

 Goode has proven to be a skilled instructor helping many local players become strong players competing on the national level.  For him the most gratifying thing about coaching is helping players reach their potential whatever level of play that might be.  “I am always trying to convince my players that they can be great because I sincerely believe that in this game the best players are the ones who never think they have reached their potential.  The most successful players are the ones who are always looking for ways to improve.”

Goode played for four years at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he graduated in 2002.  Goode started his college career playing the fifth and sixth positions as a freshman and he moved up the line-up each year, he played the one and two positions as a senior. 

 After college Goode played professionally on the futures tour.  “Playing against and practicing with the guys on the tour made me develop a new understanding of the game.  For the guys on the tour its all about constantly improving and finding ways to win and that is the mentality I try to teach all of my players.”  Goode is currently ranked Sixth nationally in the USTA men’s open division, and 165th in the men’s United States professional rankings. 

Goode is married to Dana Arrowood-Goode a former soccer player for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  Dana is currently a psycologist working for the Catawba county school system.  The couple was married in May 2004.