Rocky Mount, N.C. - The N.C. Wesleyan Department of Athletics is pleased to announce that Bishop alum Dustin Hale has been named head coach of its men's and women's tennis programs. He takes over for the recently-departed Andres Amores, who accepted the same position at Division I Jacksonville State University, his alma mater.
No stranger to NCWC tennis, Hale comes in with six combined USA South Championships to his credit, having helped the Bishop men capture the program's first-ever USA South Regular Season and Tournament Championships as a senior player before repeating those same feats as an assistant coach the following two seasons.
Hale joins Wesleyan's coaching staff after serving as Assistant Tennis Pro at Epping Forrest Yacht Club in Jacksonville, Fla. since 2013. Prior to Epping, he enjoyed a successful two-year stint as head coach at Emory & Henry College. In his two seasons with the Wasps, Hale posted a 29-11 overall record, which included a 14-6 mark in ODAC play. Additionally, he had ten players garner Old Dominion All-Conference honors.
Hale's success at E&H followed a tremendous pair of seasons as assistant coach with his alma mater. While on NCWC's staff, he helped turn the men’s tennis program into a national contender while setting the stage for the success of the Bishop women. In those two seasons, Wesleyan's men went deep into NCAA Division III postseason play, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2010 and the Elite 8 in 2011 after capturing USA South Regular Season and Tournament titles. On the women's side, he helped guide the Bishops to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in program history.
As an undergraduate, Hale played four seasons at NCWC, highlighted by his 2009 senior season that saw him post a 6-1 record in singles play and go undefeated in USA South action. The Bishops posted a perfect 6-0 conference record that season, beginning a string of seven straight regular season and tournament titles that continues today. The area native is thrilled to now continue the tradition that he helped begin as both a player and assistant.
Hale is a 2009 Wesleyan graduate with degrees in Psychology and Religious Studies. He and his wife, Tammy, are both products of nearby Southwest Edgecombe High School and are excited to return to the Rocky Mount area with their son, Nathan.