MGSC Hires New Tennis Coach

Middle Georgia State College Athletics is pleased to announce the hiring of Tom Bates as the new tennis coach to head up both the Men’s and Women’s teams which were both added for the 2013-14 year.

Bates comes to MGSC after spending the last two years at Wesleyan College in Macon as the head coach of their tennis team.  Bates is a PTR (Professional Tennis Registry) certified teaching professional who has been coaching in the middle Georgia area for the last eight years. Currently working with the Juniors program at Idle Hour Country Club which trains the current Georgia top 5 ranked boys and girls in the 12's, 14's, 16's and 18's, he has also worked at the John Drew Smith Tennis Center as well as at the Tattnall Tennis Center. An active member of the USTA, Bates spends a fair amount of time competing on the hard courts in addition to his responsibilities as a teacher. 

Bates said, “Our players will be true student-athletes, working hard on the court and towards a great degree from MGSC. I look forward to being a part of this program from day 1 helping our young men and women pursue their life's goals during their time at MGSC.”

Athletic Director, Charles Mullis stated, “We are excited to have Tom join the department.  He brings a strong tennis background and has seen success on and off the court at the collegiate level.”

The Knights will begin play with two tournaments this fall and the season begins in February.  MGSC competes in Region 17 of the NJCAA and is a member of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) which includes three other men’s and women’s tennis teams in the conference.