NEWBERRY, S.C. – The Newberry College Athletic Department and athletic director Sean Johnson welcome back Elias Fernandez as the head coach for men's and women's tennis programs.
In his first full academic year with the Wolves, Fernandez helped lead the women's program to their best record in program history (25-4), including the program's first NCAA Tournament victory. He also helped coach three All-SAC singles players, an All-SAC doubles team, and a SAC Player of the Year.
"It's a distinguished honor to be the head coach at Newberry College," said Fernandez regarding his return to Newberry. "I look forward to maintaining the program's tradition, continuing its success, and reinforcing the culture of excellence that the teams have established in the past years ."
In May 2022, Fernandez was elevated from his role of assistant coach to head men's tennis coach and associate head coach of the women's program.
"We are thrilled to welcome Elias back to our Newberry College family," said Newberry College athletic director Sean Johnson. "His rapport and approach to mentoring our tennis student-athletes falls perfectly in line with our philosophy of being student-centered. Elias is not just a great tennis coach, but a great member of our staff."
Recently-retired Newberry tennis coach Mark Gardiner said of Fernandez, "We are extremely excited to have Elias join our program. He brings a lot of experience and is extremely passionate and energetic," upon his initial hiring by Newberry College in January 2021.
"Both teams are passionate about working hard for each other and winning championships. There's no other place that I would rather be as a head coach," said Fernandez regarding his team.
Prior to Newberry, Elias earned his MBA from Heidelberg University where he also served as a graduate assistant for the tennis program. At Heidelberg, Fernandez honed his skills as a tennis coach with responsibilities that included developing and implementing practice plans, recruiting and monitoring the academic progress of the student-athletes. In spring 2019, the Heidelberg tennis program increased their win total by 25%.
Following graduation from Heidelberg, Fernandez served as a Tennis Professional at the Southampton Racquet Club and Tennis Innovators Academy in New York. Elias has also experienced working as a tennis pro at well-known tennis summer camps such as Carmel Valley Tennis Camp in California and Camp Lindenmere in Pennsylvania.
Elias played tennis for William Woods University, where he double majored in Finance and Accounting. He served as a team captain of his tennis team as a junior and senior while being named to the Deans' List three-straight years. Fernandez was also named the NAIA Scholar-Athlete in 2017 and 2018.
