Troy University Athletics
Tennis (W)
Hayes, Eric
Eric Hayes
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- ehayes@troy.edu
- Phone:
- 3649
Eric Hayes is in his 11th season at the helm of the Troy University men’s and women’s tennis teams, and his eighth at the helm of the Trojans in the Sun Belt Conference. Since the Trojans arrival into the Sun Belt Conference six seasons ago, Hayes has led the team against some of the nation’s best.
In 2010, he led the men’s team to their first-ever Sun Belt Conference Championship as they finished the regular season with a mark of 20-4. The team lost only four matches all season, all four to ranked opponents, and they finished with their highest national ranking at the end of the season at 55. The Trojans also received their first-ever bid to the NCAA Regionals that past season, advancing to the Gainesville Region.
However, the success did not stop there as Hayes led the Trojans to their first-ever berth in the Kick-Off Classic which took place in January 2011 and involved the top 64 teams in the country. The veteran head coach also coached the Trojans first-ever All-Sun Belt performer in Luis Henrique Grangeiro, as well as doubles partner Mario Rolemberg.
Hayes has led the men to a combined 53-81 mark overall since joining the Sun Belt Conference.
On the women’s side, Hayes has led the Trojans to a combined 83-62 mark in seven seasons in the Sun Belt, including five separate winning seasons.
In 2012, Hayes led the Troy women's team to the Sun Belt tournament semifinals and coached Karoline Grymel to a singles All-Sun Belt selection as well as a doubles All-Sun Belt selection with partner Lyubov Dorofeeva. The doubles duo spent part of the season ranked in the ITA top 100.
In 2006, the Trojans first ever Sun Belt squad finished 14-4 as Hayes coached Tsitsi Masviba to a 16-1 record, including a 13-0 record at number two singles. In 2007, he coached Annabelle Bares to a 16-2 overall record, including an 11-1 record at number two singles.
Prior to their play in the Sun Belt, Hayes and the Trojans enjoyed success in the Atlantic Sun Conference, including their final season (2005), when Hayes took the men to the championship match of the Atlantic Sun Tournament, where the Trojans just missed a trip to the NCAA Tournament with a 4-3 loss to UCF.
The Trojans posted a 10-10 record, including a 5-1 conference record, and the Trojans placed two athletes on the all-conference first team, sophomore Irving Morales and senior Daniel Quiceno. Morales, subsequently, was named the league’s player of the year.
The women finished the year at 10-6 overall, with Suzanne Jones and Tsitsi Masviba each earning selection to the Second Team All-Atlantic Sun.
In 2004, Hayes led the women to an A-Sun Championship and an NCAA Tournament bid, the first in the school’s history. The Trojans finished with a 14-8 record, and Hayes was named the Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year. Three Trojans earned places on the all-conference team.
Also in 2004, on the men’s side, Morales was selected as the A-Sun Freshman and Player of the Year.
In his first season (2003), Hayes led the men’s team to an 11-10 dual match record and the women’s team to an 11-5 dual match record and a third-place finish in the A-Sun. Hayes coached six all-conference participants in his first season as head coach. The men’s team earned one first-team, one second-team and one all-freshman-team member. Three women received all-conference honors with one on the first-team and two on the second-team.
Before arriving at Troy, Hayes served as the head men’s tennis coach at North Carolina State from 1996-2002. Hayes took the Wolfpack to its first NCAA Tournament in 21 years when they qualified in 1999.
During the 1999 season, the Wolfpack was ranked as high as No. 21 nationally. He produced the school’s first winning record in 11 seasons, as well as one All-American, one conference player of the year, five all-conference players and 18 conference all-academic performers.
From 1998 to 2002, Hayes served on the NCAA Division I National Tennis Selection Committee.
Prior to joining the Wolfpack, Hayes served as the Director of Professional Players at the Palmer Tennis Academy in Tampa, Fla., where he trained and traveled with athletes to ATP and WTA events around the world. While at Palmer, Hayes coached players such as Helen Kelesi, Mary Pierce, Daniel Nestor, Brian Dunn and Jared Palmer. While being coached by Hayes, Palmer won the Wimbledon Doubles Championship, and the ITF ranked Dunn the No. 1 junior in the world. Hayes also coached two Wimbledon women’s doubles participants.
Hayes also served as head men’s tennis coach at South Florida from 1989-1992, compiling a 33-31 record. His 1990 squad won the Sun Belt Conference Championship. That year Hayes was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year and Region III Coach of the Year.
Hayes received his first head coaching opportunity in 1988 when he was hired as head women’s tennis coach at the University of Kansas. In his two-year stay in Lawrence, Hayes compiled a 27-20 record. He also had five players make the Academic All-Big Eight team. When Hayes was hired at the age of 23, he became the youngest head coach in the Big Eight in any sport.
Prior to his career as a head coach, Hayes served one season as the assistant men’s coach at Clemson in 1986. The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 2 in the country that season, winning the 1987 ACC championship and ending the year ranked 14th in the final ITA poll.
The 21-year head coach is a three-time Coach of the Year, in two different conferences, over his tenure in college. He also serves as the tournament director of the USTA $50,000 women’s challenge held at the Lunsford Tennis Complex in Troy. Troy is one of only three universities to host such an event, which has been played annually since 2003. Hayes was also instrumental in starting a First Serve program in Troy.
A Suffern, N.Y., native, Hayes played four years at Carson-Newman College, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He was a four-year all-conference selection in the South Atlantic Conference during his career and as a senior earned NAIA honorable mention All-America honors.
Hayes is married to the former Lisa Hunt, of Troy. The couple has a son Seth Hunt, and a daughter, Marley Hayes.
In 2010, he led the men’s team to their first-ever Sun Belt Conference Championship as they finished the regular season with a mark of 20-4. The team lost only four matches all season, all four to ranked opponents, and they finished with their highest national ranking at the end of the season at 55. The Trojans also received their first-ever bid to the NCAA Regionals that past season, advancing to the Gainesville Region.
However, the success did not stop there as Hayes led the Trojans to their first-ever berth in the Kick-Off Classic which took place in January 2011 and involved the top 64 teams in the country. The veteran head coach also coached the Trojans first-ever All-Sun Belt performer in Luis Henrique Grangeiro, as well as doubles partner Mario Rolemberg.
Hayes has led the men to a combined 53-81 mark overall since joining the Sun Belt Conference.
On the women’s side, Hayes has led the Trojans to a combined 83-62 mark in seven seasons in the Sun Belt, including five separate winning seasons.
In 2012, Hayes led the Troy women's team to the Sun Belt tournament semifinals and coached Karoline Grymel to a singles All-Sun Belt selection as well as a doubles All-Sun Belt selection with partner Lyubov Dorofeeva. The doubles duo spent part of the season ranked in the ITA top 100.
In 2006, the Trojans first ever Sun Belt squad finished 14-4 as Hayes coached Tsitsi Masviba to a 16-1 record, including a 13-0 record at number two singles. In 2007, he coached Annabelle Bares to a 16-2 overall record, including an 11-1 record at number two singles.
Prior to their play in the Sun Belt, Hayes and the Trojans enjoyed success in the Atlantic Sun Conference, including their final season (2005), when Hayes took the men to the championship match of the Atlantic Sun Tournament, where the Trojans just missed a trip to the NCAA Tournament with a 4-3 loss to UCF.
The Trojans posted a 10-10 record, including a 5-1 conference record, and the Trojans placed two athletes on the all-conference first team, sophomore Irving Morales and senior Daniel Quiceno. Morales, subsequently, was named the league’s player of the year.
The women finished the year at 10-6 overall, with Suzanne Jones and Tsitsi Masviba each earning selection to the Second Team All-Atlantic Sun.
In 2004, Hayes led the women to an A-Sun Championship and an NCAA Tournament bid, the first in the school’s history. The Trojans finished with a 14-8 record, and Hayes was named the Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year. Three Trojans earned places on the all-conference team.
Also in 2004, on the men’s side, Morales was selected as the A-Sun Freshman and Player of the Year.
In his first season (2003), Hayes led the men’s team to an 11-10 dual match record and the women’s team to an 11-5 dual match record and a third-place finish in the A-Sun. Hayes coached six all-conference participants in his first season as head coach. The men’s team earned one first-team, one second-team and one all-freshman-team member. Three women received all-conference honors with one on the first-team and two on the second-team.
Before arriving at Troy, Hayes served as the head men’s tennis coach at North Carolina State from 1996-2002. Hayes took the Wolfpack to its first NCAA Tournament in 21 years when they qualified in 1999.
During the 1999 season, the Wolfpack was ranked as high as No. 21 nationally. He produced the school’s first winning record in 11 seasons, as well as one All-American, one conference player of the year, five all-conference players and 18 conference all-academic performers.
From 1998 to 2002, Hayes served on the NCAA Division I National Tennis Selection Committee.
Prior to joining the Wolfpack, Hayes served as the Director of Professional Players at the Palmer Tennis Academy in Tampa, Fla., where he trained and traveled with athletes to ATP and WTA events around the world. While at Palmer, Hayes coached players such as Helen Kelesi, Mary Pierce, Daniel Nestor, Brian Dunn and Jared Palmer. While being coached by Hayes, Palmer won the Wimbledon Doubles Championship, and the ITF ranked Dunn the No. 1 junior in the world. Hayes also coached two Wimbledon women’s doubles participants.
Hayes also served as head men’s tennis coach at South Florida from 1989-1992, compiling a 33-31 record. His 1990 squad won the Sun Belt Conference Championship. That year Hayes was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year and Region III Coach of the Year.
Hayes received his first head coaching opportunity in 1988 when he was hired as head women’s tennis coach at the University of Kansas. In his two-year stay in Lawrence, Hayes compiled a 27-20 record. He also had five players make the Academic All-Big Eight team. When Hayes was hired at the age of 23, he became the youngest head coach in the Big Eight in any sport.
Prior to his career as a head coach, Hayes served one season as the assistant men’s coach at Clemson in 1986. The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 2 in the country that season, winning the 1987 ACC championship and ending the year ranked 14th in the final ITA poll.
The 21-year head coach is a three-time Coach of the Year, in two different conferences, over his tenure in college. He also serves as the tournament director of the USTA $50,000 women’s challenge held at the Lunsford Tennis Complex in Troy. Troy is one of only three universities to host such an event, which has been played annually since 2003. Hayes was also instrumental in starting a First Serve program in Troy.
A Suffern, N.Y., native, Hayes played four years at Carson-Newman College, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He was a four-year all-conference selection in the South Atlantic Conference during his career and as a senior earned NAIA honorable mention All-America honors.
Hayes is married to the former Lisa Hunt, of Troy. The couple has a son Seth Hunt, and a daughter, Marley Hayes.
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