Reeb Honored as New England College Coach of the Year by USPTA
Colby Head Tennis Coach Adam Reeb has been named College Coach of the Year by the United States Professional Tennis Association, New England Division. The honor was announced this week, recognizing Reeb’s accomplishments in his first two years at Colby, including national rankings for both men’s and women’s teams, and an All-America selection for Scott Altmeyer ’20.
“I think it shows just how far the programs have come,” said Reeb, who became Colby’s head tennis coach in 2018. “It’s a huge testament to the student athletes and their hard work and dedication.”
Head Tennis Coach Adam Reeb with members of the nationally ranked women’s team in 2019.
Both teams were nationally ranked (the women’s squad had yet to compete but were coming off a national ranking in spring 2019) when COVID-19 canceled the spring season in March. Since then, the players have remained in communication and have trained individually and informally in preparation for the return to campus this month. Players have been using their time away from campus “to get better in any way they can,” Reeb said.
He credited his team captains for their leadership during a difficult time. “They’ve done a great job keeping the teams together and motivated and accountable to each other,” Reeb said.
Deflecting credit for the USPTA honor to his players, he said they welcomed him and Assistant Coach Mike Napoli and “have just gotten to work. We try to keep the standards really high, and they’ve bought in,” Reeb said.
Actual competition for this fall hasn’t been ruled in or out, but should that happen this fall or in the spring, he said players are excited to be back on campus with the new athletics and recreation center now open. The teams “are in a good spot where I think we’re excited and hungry and motivated,” he said, “and that’s what you want.”
New recruits are already getting recognition, with the incoming men’s and women’s players recently ranked in the top 20 in Division III. “We’ve got a great mix of senior leadership and some good incoming student athletes as well, so it’s a good mix,” Reeb said. “I feel good coming in this fall, being able to hit the ground running. Even with everything going on, we’re coming in with a strong, unified front.”
