Men's Tennis
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- mhill@athletics.msstate.edu
When searching for an assistant to come to Mississippi State, then-first-year head coach Per Nilsson did not have to look far to fill the vacancy. Nilsson's choice was Matt Hill.
Hill came to MSU after a two-season stint as the volunteer assistant coach at the University of Alabama. In that capacity, Hill worked with the Crimson Tide players on the court as well as helping extensively with video work and the marketing aspect of the tennis program. While at Alabama, Hill also earned a master's in human performance with an emphasis in sports management.
"I am very glad that we could add Matt to our coaching staff here at MSU," said Nilsson. "He brings a lot of experience to the table and does a terrific job for us. He is a great motivator and can really get the guys going."
In his fourth season in his role with the Maroon and White Hill is extremely excited about the talent on the team and will play a vital role in helping evolve the program back to being a part of the elite. MSU has added 10 new players in the past 24 months, all of whom are arguably some of the best 17-and-18-year-old tennis players in the world to come into the U.S. collegiate system.
"Last year was incredibly exciting to see how well the young talent competed in such a tough conference as the SEC and how well the juniors improved last season.Hopefully we can build on that success for this season and take a deep post-season run."
Based the spring of 2010's results and improvements MSU entered the fall with three players nationally ranked in singles, one doubles team ranked 11th and one newcomer ranked as the 10th best newcomer in the country according to ITA Tennis, which led to MSU picking up 23 wins in singles, four of which came over ranked opponents and 11 wins in doubles one of which was over a ranked opponents. Hill also assisted in the Bulldogs' ranked doubles team earning runner-up status at the ITA Southern Regionals.
In the most recent spring, Hill assisted in the Bulldogs 14-9 dual match record with a stellar 8-3 SEC post. During their conference bouts, MSU swept the Western division with a 5-0 record and the crown. Their biggest triumph came against a 4th ranked Tennessee squad as they ousted the Volunteers 6-1 in what was their highest-ranked victory since taking down #4 Kentucky in 2002.
Hill's efforts vaulted four players from the MSU squad into a final top-100 ranking by the ITA along with two doubles teams in the top 85. The Bulldog squad is one of only six teams nationally from the spring of 2011 to finish with four players ranked in the top-100. One of these players was freshman Malte Stropp. Stropp was named SEC Freshman of the Week along with SEC's Freshman of the Year and the All-Freshman Team. After assisting in MSU's second round efforts in the NCAA Championships, Hill found himself tabbed as the ITA Southern Region Assistant Coach of the Year along with the SEC Assistant Coach of the Year.
In addition to his duties on the court, Hill, along with Nilsson was very active off the court in marketing the team. Thanks to some public speaking opportunities, various advertisements and promotions State finished in the top five nationally in average attendance, just over 500 spectators per match played at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
In his second fall with the Bulldogs Hill assisted an MSU doubles team to a runner-up finish in the Division II Draw at the Southern Collegiate Championships and a singles title in the John Hannah Draw at the Crimson Tide Fall Invitational.
In his first season as the number-two guy for the MState men's tennis program, Hill played a key role in the Bulldog's season that included an 8-12 dual match record, back-to-back SEC wins, with one win coming over then-23rd-ranked Auburn and an all-American selection from former Bulldog, Ivan Bjelica, who received his end-of-the-season laurel after his stellar individual performance in the NCAA Tournament.
A native of Holt, Mich., Hill earned a degree in business marketing with a specialization in professional tennis management from Ferris State University in 2005. Also a member of the tennis team while at FSU, Hill helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the first time in school history. Hill recently completed his master's degree in Human Performance from the University of Alabama.
Adding to his credentials, Hill is a member of the USTA High Performance Coaching Program, and continues to coach the Zonals National Team for the Southern Section during the summer. Hill is a Level I USPTA Professional with a Specialization in Competitive Player Development. He currently serves on the board for the USTA Collegiate Team Committee to help increase tennis across all college campuses in the South.
