Jay Evans served three seasons (2022-24) as the head coach for the Francis Marion University men’s and women’s tennis programs. He registered a 39-23 men's record and a 31-28 women's mark.
In his final season (2024), he directed the Patriots men to a 12-8 mark and women to a 7-11 record.
In 2023, he guided the FMU men to a 13-8 mark and the Conference Carolinas regular-season championship. The Patriots lost in the conference tournament title match. Evans was named the conference Coach of the Year for men's tennis. The Patriot women finish with a 10-11 record.
In his first season in Florence (2022), he directed the FMU women to a 14-6 mark and a second-place finish during the Conference Carolinas regular season, while the Patriot men posted a 14-7 record.
Evans comes to FMU after serving as head coach for the men’s and women’s programs at West Virginia Wesleyan College for the 2020-21 year. During a covid-shortened campaign in 2021, the Bobcat men ranked fourth in the Atlantic Region and earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament. West Virginia Wesleyan finished as the runners-up in the Mountain East Conference and placed five players on the All-Conference team.
The Bobcat women exceeded preseason expectations even though they endured several covid interruptions. Both West Virginia Wesleyan squads received ITA All-Academic Team recognition and 10 of 15 student-athletes garnered ITA Scholar-Athlete accolades.
Evans previously served three years (2017-20) as head coach at Davis & Elkins College. In 2018, he coached the Senator men and women to the GMAC Conference Tournament. Both programs earned ITA All-Academic Team honors in 2019. During his time at D&E, he coached five GMAC All-Conference athletes, including the 2018 Men's Freshman of the Year.
Evans earned a pair of B.A. degrees – in mass communications and history – from Piedmont College in 2014. While working on his degrees, he produced a distinguished playing career for the Division III school. A two-time All-GSAC selection, he finished with a 35-11 career singles record, including only one loss in conference play. He helped Piedmont to a pair of conference titles.
Following his collegiate playing career, he played both professionally and semi-professionally, winning several Men's Open titles and being ranked as high as No.5 in Florida Men's Open Doubles.
He was the tennis head coach at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., for two seasons (2015 and 2017).
The Francis Marion men's program boasts an all-time record of 717-416 (.633 winning percentage) with 18 NCAA Division II national tournament appearances, while the Patriot women have an all-time mark of 569-423 (.574) with 15 trips to the NCAA tournament.
Evans is the ninth coach in the history of the FMU men’s program and the 12th coach of the women’s program.
(5-2023)
