Matt Lucas - Men's Tennis Coach - University of Tennessee Athletics

Matt Lucas

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
mlucas21@tennessee.edu

Matt Lucas enters his second year with Tennessee and his second as the associate head coach for the 2025-26 season. Lucas helped the Vols reach the round of 16 in the 2024-25 season, which adds on to the previous mark set the year before for Tennessee's most consecutive appearances in the Round of 16 or further since the tournament adopted its current 64-team format in 1999.

A talented coach and experienced leader on and off the courts, Matt Lucas was announced as the associate head coach for the Tennessee men's tennis program by head coach Chris Woodruff Nov. 26, 2024.

"Matt brings an abundance of knowledge into our tennis program," said Woodruff. "He excels in so many facets of collegiate athletics, from his head coaching experience to player relations to familiarity with the Southeastern Conference. We are fortunate to have him at Tennessee."

Most recently, Lucas served as the head coach for the University of North Florida. In his seven seasons at the helm, Lucas notched an 87-59 (.596) overall record, with a 33-9 record in conference play. He also marked a stellar 21-3 record over the past three years against ASUN opponents.

Lucas is coming off a very successful season with an undefeated record in conference play for the second time at UNF, garnering ASUN regular season and tournament championships and NCAA team and singles postseason appearances. He also helped usher the ASUN's Player of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Doubles Pair of the Year, as well as two First Team All-Conference and two All-Academic selections during the 2023-24 season.

Under Lucas' tutelage, North Florida has won at least 13 matches in five of the past six full seasons, including 16-win seasons over two of the past three years. The 2024 season was one to remember with their undefeated ASUN mark, as well as four Ospreys completing an undefeated singles record against conference opponents.

He came to the Ospreys after serving as the associate head coach for the University at Buffalo men's tennis team for the 2016-17 season. The Bulls claimed MAC regular season and tournament titles that year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament while producing five All-MAC players. In his nine seasons as a Division I men's tennis coach, Lucas saw his teams to over 100 total victories, while also fostering the growth and development of numerous student-athletes along the way.

Prior to his stint at Buffalo, Lucas served as the Head Tennis Professional at The Palencia Club in St. Augustine, Florida (2015-16). Before serving in the head pro position, Lucas spent a season as a traveling coach on the ITF Pro Circuit where he coached and traveled with Alex Valenstein. He helped guide her to Texas Tech University, where she became a singles and doubles starter on a top-10 team.

Lucas also previously coached in the college ranks in 2014 when he was a volunteer assistant coach at Wake Forest University for one season. While at Wake Forest, Lucas helped the Demon Deacons reach No. 13 in the ITA National rankings while also helping three players earn All-ACC recognition.

Prior to Wake Forest, Lucas spent three seasons at South Carolina as an assistant coach, helping turn the Gamecocks into a ranked program. Lucas was named the ITA Carolina Region Assistant Coach of the Year for his success at South Carolina and helped sign the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation in 2011.

Before becoming the assistant coach for the Gamecocks, Lucas served as the head men's tennis coach at the University of the Pacific for two seasons, leading the team to as high as No. 52 in the ITA Rankings. Lucas went 27-21 with the Tigers. Prior to his stint on the West Coast, he was an assistant coach at Princeton from 2006-09.

Lucas played collegiate tennis at Appalachian State and N.C. State, rising as high as No. 63 in the ITA Singles Rankings while with the Wolfpack. He graduated from N.C. State in 2002 with a degree in humanities.