ATHENS — The succession plan for Georgia men’s tennis has been revealed. Not that there was much mystery about it.
Jamie Hunt returned to UGA from Vanderbilt as associate head coach in 2017 with the expectation that one day would he succeed Manuel Diaz at the helm of the Bulldogs’ storied tennis program. On Thursday, Diaz announced his retirement at season’s end. On Tuesday, Georgia Athletic Director Josh Brooks announced that Hunt will take over at that time.
Hunt will become only the third head coach in the history of the storied program. Dan Magill, for whom the expansive tennis complex is named, is the other.
“Being named the head coach of Georgia men’s tennis is the privilege of a lifetime,” Hunt said in a news release circulated by the school Tuesday evening. “It is hard to put into words how much this university and tennis program have meant to me and my family. I would like to thank President (Jere) Morehead and Athletics Director Josh Brooks for the opportunity to serve our incredible student-athletes as their head coach and lead this storied program into the future.”
Hunt earned All-American honors while playing a key role for the Bulldogs on the way to winning back-to-back national championships in 2007-08. In 2008, he compiled a 39-8 singles record, which included a perfect 10-0 mark in SEC play. The next season, he teamed with Nate Schnugg to reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA doubles championship to become an All-American. Hunt played for Diaz from 2007-10.
Currently, Hunt is in his seventh season as Diaz’s top assistant. He returned to his alma mater in 2017 to serve as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. Since he’s been back with the Bulldogs, Georgia has signed three top-five recruiting classes, including the No. 1-ranked group in 2023.
Hunt twice has been named the ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year, helped the Bulldogs capture the 2023 SEC championship with a perfect conference record and is credited for the development of singles national champion Ethan Quinn, who last year became the third player in program history to earn that title, joining Mikael Pernfors (1984, 1985) and Matias Boeker (2001, 2002).
“Coach Hunt understands what it takes to compete at a championship level,” Brooks said in a statement. “He did it as a player and has led our program to championships as the associate head coach over the last few years. Jamie is someone who connects with our student-athletes and has helped lead our team to top recruiting classes nearly every year.”
Hunt and his wife, Kyndal Edwards Hunt, met as seniors at UGA. The couple has five children: daughter Blakely (8), son Hayes (6), 3-year-old twins Macy and Hudson, and Ford, who was born in September 2022.
