Tuesday, 06/12/2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 11, 2012) – Kevin Epley has been named the women’s tennis head coach at the University of South Carolina, Athletics Director Eric Hyman announced today.

Epley returns to the collegiate coaching ranks for the first time since 2008, having spent the past four years as a full-time traveling coach for WTA player Megan Moulton-Levy and her doubles partner, Lindsay Lee-Waters.

“Kevin is a phenomenal coach and recruiter,” said Hyman. “His student-athletes have played at the highest levels. Combined with a new, first-class tennis facility, Kevin’s energy, style and expertise will continue the momentum established by the women’s tennis program towards even greater success. We are excited to have him join the Gamecock family.”

Epley’s most recent collegiate coaching endeavor came at the College of William and Mary, where he served as the head coach of the women’s program from 2003-08. In his five seasons with the Tribe, Epley led the squad to a 96-40 (.706) dual match record, including four Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances. On four occasions, he was named the CAA Coach of the Year and in 2008, garnered the Wilson/ITA East Region Coach of the Year award. In total, five W&M players competed in singles and doubles at the NCAA Championships and earned 11 All-America honors over the last five seasons. On 21 occasions during Epley’s tenure, a Tribe player garnered All-CAA singles honors, while doubles teams received 11 all-league nods.

Over Epley’s five seasons, the College finished the season ranked among the top-25 on three occasions, including a No. 15 ranking in 2007. W&M was ranked as high as No. 9 in 2007 and spent three straight weeks among the top-10 in the country. The Tribe capped the season by advancing to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time since 2003. The 2006-07 season also provided W&M’s second individual national championship as the duo of Megan Moulton-Levy and Katarina Zoricic claimed the ITA National Indoor Doubles Championship in November. They were also NCAA finalists during the outdoor season. Moulton-Levy graduated from the College as a six-time All-American, a four-time CAA Player of the Year and a two-time ITA National Arthur Ashe Award winner for Leadership and Sportsmanship. His 2003-04 squad was ranked as high as No. 6 in the country.

“I can't thank Eric Hyman and the University of South Carolina athletic department enough for entrusting me to lead the Gamecocks women’s tennis program into an exciting new era,” said Epley. “The previous coaches, Arlo and Katarina, worked hard to ensure that USC tennis consistently placed among the best teams in the nation and I look forward to building on that tradition.  I could feel the energy that Eric has brought to the Gamecock athletics community the moment I stepped onto campus, and I feel fortunate to be afforded a small part in what promises to be a great future for all of South Carolina Athletics.”

Prior to his stint in Williamsburg, Va., Epley served as the head coach at Fresno State University from 2000-03. In his three seasons with the Bulldogs he compiled a 55-19 record (.743), coached five players to eight All-American honors and had the top-ranked doubles team in the country, the first of three No.1-ranked doubles team he has mentored. He led his team to two WAC championships and was a two-time WAC Coach of the Year.

A 1996 graduate of Southern Methodist University where he was an All-Southwestern Conference performer as a senior, Epley began his collegiate coaching career with a pair of one-year stays as an assistant coach at Alabama (1998-99 and Arizona (1999-2000). He has also served a personal traveling coach for Lindsay Davenport and Patty Schnyder, as the head coach of the St. Louis Aces in the World Team Tennis league, as an assistant for the U.S. Olympic team for the 2000 Sydney games, as an assistant for the U.S. Federation Cup team from 1997-2002, and as an instructor at the renowned Nick Bolliettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.