Rocky Mount, N.C. - The N.C. Wesleyan Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the promotion of Albie Brice to head coach of the Battling Bishop men's and women's tennis programs. Brice has been serving as interim head coach and recently led the men's program to its ninth straight USA South title and NCAA appearance.

"After an extensive national search that yielded many outstanding candidates, we are excited to announce that we have hired Albie Brice as our Head Tennis Coach for men and women," said Director of Athletics John Thompson. "As we moved through this process, it became apparent that Coach Brice was the right person, in the right place, at the right time for our program. We are pleased that he will provide the continuity that our program should have and look forward to seeing the teams continue to develop."

Brice joined the N.C. Wesleyan men's and women's tennis staff full time in the summer of 2016. No stranger to Bishop Athletics, he previously served as NCWC's head tennis coach for five years, helping reinstate the men's program in 1999 and kickstart the women's program that same season. As a volunteer tennis assistant in 2015, Brice helped lead Wesleyan's men to their eighth straight USA South Championship, while helping the women's program secure a second straight winning season and top-3 finish in the league.

As a collegiate tennis player, Brice competed for D-I UNC Wilmington and was named UNCW's Most Improved Player in 1990 before transferring to North Carolina Wesleyan. Athletically, Brice's post-Wesleyan career has seen him compete as a professional and achieve an ATP ranking. Brice also spent several years as an owner and coach with Velocity Sports Performance. During his Velocity tenure, he gained valuable knowlege in training, as well as the proper mechanics involved in endurance, strength, speed, nutrition, and injury prevention.

A 1992 Wesleyan graduate with a degree in History, Brice has gone on to earn a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages (2007) and a Master of Theology in Christian Ethics (2012) from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently, he is slated to complete his PhD in Christian Ethics in the summer of 2017.

A USTA P-1 Professional, Brice and his wife, April, have four children: Tanner, Chandler, Tyler, and Brody.