Brandon Padgett is entering his fourth year and third full season as head coach of the Kennesaw State women's tennis team. He is the sixth head coach in the history of the women's tennis program. In addition, this season will be Padgett’s second as head coach of the men’s tennis program, which he led through their inaugural season in 2008-09.
The women's program showed tremendous improvement in its first full season under Padgett's guidance in 2008; doubling their win total from the previous year and earning its first two Atlantic Sun Conference wins. The team finished with an 8-12 overall record and a 2-9 record against Conference opponents. The squad also recorded its first three-match winning streak and jumped above a .500 record for the first time after starting the spring 3-2.
Last season, the Owls improved even further, posting an 11-9 overall record, while improving their record to 6-3 in the A-Sun. In addition, after placing 11th in the conference during his first full season as head coach, under Padgett’s guidance the Owls jumped into fifth place in 2009.
On the men’s side, Padgett got the Owls’ program off to a solid start in its first year of existence, leading a team consisting entirely of freshmen to a 7-12 overall record, including two conference wins over A-Sun rivals, Florida Gulf Coast and Lipscomb.
From the time he assumed his duties in the middle of the season three seasons ago, Padgett has helped oversee the Owls transition from the Peach Belt Conference and Division II competition to their current place in the Atlantic Sun Conference and Division I play. He has also overseen the final construction of the newly refurbished KSU Tennis Complex where the Owls play their home matches.
The Owls finished with a 4-18 overall and a 0-9 conference record under Padgett in his first season.
He came to Kennesaw State after serving as assistant coach at the University of Dayton. His coaching resume also includes stints in high school and at the NCAA Division III level. He also served as a teaching professional at the Five Season Sports Club in Dayton, Ohio.
Prior to Dayton, he served as the head coach at D-III Earlham College in Richmond, Ind.
He was the head tennis coach for both the men and women as well as the women's soccer coach while at D-III Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va. before leaving for Earlham. He also served as the Tennis Camp Director for the Frederick County Parks and Recreation Department while at Shenandoah.
He served as the head coach at Miami University (Hamilton) for one season before heading to Virginia. In his lone season with the Harriers he led his team to the Ohio Regional Campus Conference title.
His first head coaching position was with his alma mater, Ross High School, in Ross, Ohio. He spent two seasons as the coach of the Rams, leading RHS to a 51-28 record and consecutive runner-up finishes in the Fort Ancient Valley Conference.
During his playing career, he was an all-conference performer and doubles champion at Miami University Hamilton. He helped lead his team to the conference championship in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Padgett received his undergraduate degree in Health and Sports Studies from Miami (Ohio) and received his Masters in Physical Education from West Virginia University.
He is currently married and lives in Powder Springs, Ga. with his wife Jessica and their daughter Addyson (3).
