It only took about one calendar year, but legendary coach Brian Boland is back in college tennis. Boland is leaving his position with USTA Player Development to become the Director of Tennis and Head Men’s Tennis Coach at Baylor University as announced by the Bears’ Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Mack Rhoades.

“Brian Boland is a four-time national champion and one of the most respected coaches in tennis. We are absolutely thrilled he is joining the Baylor Family,” Rhoades said. “Brian is a man of tremendous integrity who shares our common values of Preparing Champions for Life. His on-court credentials speak for themselves, and under his leadership our men’s tennis program will continue to compete for national championships while living out the distinctively unique mission of Baylor University.”

I couldn’t agree more with what Rhoades had to say about his new men’s tennis coach. There was not a single better option out there to replace Matt Knoll, and the Bears definitely hit a home-run with bringing Boland into the fold. His resume absolutely speaks for itself.

Coach Boland was able to turn the Virginia Cavaliers program into one of the most dominant dynasties in the history of the sport. He was able to win four national championships in a five-year span while in Charlottesville, including three straight from 2015-2017.

In Boland’s 16-year tenure at UVA, his teams reached the #1 national ranking in ten different seasons, won six ITA National Team Indoor titles, and won twelve ACC Championships. Is that not enough success for you? Well, don’t worry because there’s more.

The Cavaliers also won thirteen consecutive ACC regular season titles, and compiled a streak of 140 consecutive wins against ACC opponents! That is the longest winning streak in conference history in any sport, by the way. I’d say the Bears are getting a good one here.

Boland’s career record, including his tenure at alma mater, Indiana State, is 574-90. All-in-all, his teams have averaged less than one loss in conference play per season, going 209-18 over his 21 total seasons as a head coach. These are mind-boggling stats in my opinion.

“My family and I are thrilled to be part of the Baylor Bears Athletic Department led by Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades and his team,” Boland said. “We are committed to Baylor’s mission and values, and we look forward to rejoining college tennis and continuing the tradition of excellence that has been established at Baylor.”

I saw Coach Boland last week when I was in Winston-Salem for the NCAA Championships. He was intently watching the team semifinals and finals, and looked to be really enjoying his time there. I wondered to myself as I saw him back in that environment how badly he missed being in college tennis. I questioned whether or not he would seize an opportunity to lead a program again, if given the right opportunity.

Well, it turns out the right opportunity for Boland is at Baylor University. Fans in Waco should be thrilled about this move. The Bears will become national title contenders for the foreseeable future. As soon as he can get some of his own recruits to Waco, look out!

“I will miss my terrific colleagues at the USTA and will be forever grateful to the USTA for providing me with the opportunity to lead Men’s Professional Development,” Boland added. “My time in Player Development was an extraordinary valuable experience. The USTA staff works tirelessly to make American tennis the best it can be. The leadership of Martin Blackman and his team is fantastic and I am forever grateful for the opportunity. PD has some of the finest coaches in the world and they are incredible people. The players competing on behalf of American tennis represent our country so well.”

I’m sure he did indeed enjoy his time with USTA. However, college tennis is where Brian Boland belongs. At the end of the day, the taste of victory can trump pretty much anything else, and Boland sure knows how to secure victories. Congratulations Baylor Bear tennis fans. There will be lots and lots of W’s happening in Waco for a long time to come. Enjoy it!

What are your thoughts on boland’s return to college tennis? Let us know in the comments below.