Coppin State Names Michael Vann Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach
Coppin State has turned to an experienced Maryland-area tennis coach to lead both of its Division I programs.
The university announced Wednesday that Michael Vann has been named head coach of the Coppin State men’s and women’s tennis teams. Vann arrives in Baltimore after spending the past four seasons as the head men’s and women’s coach at Gettysburg College.
Vann brings an extensive coaching resume that includes successful stops throughout the region, experience developing nationally competitive players and some of the highest coaching certifications available in the sport.
Vann Comes to Coppin After Successful Gettysburg Run
Vann helped elevate both Gettysburg programs during his tenure with the Bullets.
According to Coppin State, Gettysburg produced 23 All-Centennial Conference selections under Vann while also developing multiple players who earned ITA regional rankings. The programs reached several significant milestones, including the first Centennial Conference Tournament appearance in program history in 2024. Gettysburg followed that by earning its first ITA national ranking the next season.
Gettysburg hired Vann in December 2022 to oversee both tennis programs on a full-time basis. His early success included leading the women’s team to the conference tournament and coaching several all-conference and regionally ranked players.
That experience should translate well to a Coppin State program competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Long History of Winning at Johns Hopkins
Before Gettysburg, Vann spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins, where he worked with one of the strongest Division III tennis programs in the country.
During his tenure, the Johns Hopkins men went an impressive 69-1 in Centennial Conference competition. The Blue Jays captured eight conference championships and reached the NCAA Tournament every season during that span. Johns Hopkins also made four NCAA quarterfinal appearances and advanced to the national semifinals in 2021.
Vann earned ITA Atlantic South Region Assistant Coach of the Year honors following the 2021 season.
His time with the Blue Jays included helping develop more than 25 All-America and All-Centennial Conference selections along with four Centennial Conference Players of the Year.
That background gives Coppin State a coach who has spent years around postseason-caliber programs and understands what it takes to build consistent success.
Previous Head Coaching Experience
Vann was already an experienced head coach before joining Johns Hopkins.
He led the Goucher College men’s tennis program for seven seasons from 2005 through 2012. Vann guided Goucher to a Capital Athletic Conference semifinal appearance and coached 10 ITA Scholar-Athletes during his tenure.
He also received the 2011 USTA/ITA Community Outreach Award for the Mid-Atlantic Section.
Earlier in his career, Vann served as an assistant coach at Kenyon College and also held coaching positions at Bucknell, Birmingham-Southern and his alma mater, the University of Alabama.
Strong Maryland Connections
Vann will not have to spend much time learning the Maryland tennis landscape.
In addition to his college coaching experience, he has worked extensively in player development throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
Vann served as Director of Racquet Sports at Hillendale Country Club in Phoenix, Maryland, from 2021 through 2023. He has also worked at The Elkridge Club in Baltimore, Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Green Spring Racquet Club in Lutherville and The Suburban Club in Pikesville.
His work at Junior Tennis Champions Center included developing nationally and regionally ranked junior players and helping athletes navigate the college recruiting process.
That local network could become particularly valuable for Coppin State when it comes to recruiting players from Maryland, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic.
Highly Certified Tennis Professional
Vann also brings an extensive player-development background.
He is a certified USTA High Performance Coach, a USPTA Elite Professional and a Professional Tennis Registry Performance Professional. Gettysburg described those credentials as among the highest certification levels available through the respective organizations.
Vann graduated from Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in Human Performance.
Before attending Alabama, he played two seasons at Jefferson State Community College, where he was nationally ranked in singles and doubles. Vann was also a team captain and earned All-America honors.
MSB Take
This looks like a strong hire for Coppin State.
Vann brings considerably more than simply head-coaching experience. He has recruited and developed players, coached within nationally competitive programs, worked extensively in Maryland tennis circles and spent years overseeing both men’s and women’s teams.
His Johns Hopkins background stands out. Being part of a program that went 69-1 in conference play while winning eight championships gives Vann firsthand experience with the standards required to build a winning college tennis culture.
His Maryland ties could be just as important.
Coppin State has an opportunity to recruit from a deep Mid-Atlantic tennis pool, and Vann has spent years working directly with players, clubs and developmental programs throughout the area.
The challenge will now be translating that experience to the Division I and MEAC levels.
Coppin State athletic director Derek Carter is giving the Eagles a veteran coach with a long track record in player development and program building. For two programs looking to establish sustained conference success, Vann brings an impressive resume to West Baltimore.
Sources: Coppin State Athletics, Gettysburg College Athletics and additional tennis program records.
