Smith Named Head Coach of Bowdoin Men's Tennis

Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information

BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin College Athletic Department has announced the hiring of Conor Smith as head coach of the men's tennis program. A two-time conference coach of the year at Bridgewater (Va.) College, Smith replaces Colin Joyner, who stepped down this spring after six years at the helm of the Polar Bears.

In his four years at Bridgewater, Smith was twice named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference men's tennis coach of the year, netting the honor most recently this spring as the Eagles went 14-7 overall. He also claimed the honor in 2009 after leading Bridgewater to a third-place finish in the ODAC - the team's highest conference finish in 30 years. Under Smith's direction, the squad set program records for single-season wins in each of the past two seasons.

Smith played four years of tennis at the University of Mary Washington and was a two-time All-American. Smith was the Capital Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in 2000 and in 2001 he was individually ranked No. 30 in Division III. Smith earned his first All-American honor as a junior in 2002 and, as a senior captain, was named an All-American for the second time. He was ranked No. 15 in the nation and won the ITA Senior Regional Player of the Year.

Smith began his coaching career in September, 2003 as the men's assistant coach at Mary Washington, a position he held until May, 2005. Later in 2005, he accepted a position as women's assistant coach at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at Mary Washington and in 2007 he received his Masters degree in history at Washington College.

"We're very excited to have Conor Smith lead the Bowdoin men's tennis program," said Bowdoin Athletic Director Jeff Ward. "He brings a strong passion for tennis and student-athletes. Everyone I spoke with about Conor raved about his ability to teach and coach. He's the ideal candidate to continue building this already successful team." The Polar Bears have been one of the most successful teams in the nation over the past decade, earning nine NCAA Tournament bids in the last ten seasons. Bowdoin won its first NESCAC Championship in 2008 and, this past spring, earned its first NCAA title when the doubles team of Oscar Pena and Stephen Sullivan claimed the Division III championship.