Westminster hires Hayden as tennis coach
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – Westminster College has named David Hayden its new head men's and women's tennis coach. Hayden has most recently served as the head tennis coach of both the boys' and girls' teams at Baldwin High School in Pittsburgh.
"I'm excited to take over the men's and women's tennis programs at Westminster," Hayden said. "Coaching in the college ranks is something I always wanted to do."
Hayden took over the Baldwin tennis program in 2009 and has coached both teams to conference playoff berths, the first for either team in over 25 years. In 2013, he was named the "High School Coach of the Year" by a local chapter of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Prior to coaching at Baldwin, Hayden was the varsity coach at Upper St. Clair High School, where his team won the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) championship. During his time at Upper St. Clair, he coached three Division I and two Division II tennis student-athletes.
In addition to coaching at the high school level, Hayden has hosted annual summer tennis clinics and several USTA youth tournaments. In 2010, he was recognized as the "Tournament Director of the Year" by the USTA. He has been a member of the Professional Tennis Registry for over 30 years and holds a "Professional" certification.
"Dave Hayden is widely known and highly respected in tennis circles throughout this area and we are very fortunate to have him agree to join our athletics staff," said Westminster Director of Athletics Jim Dafler. "I am confident that our varsity tennis programs will benefit greatly from his expertise and leadership."
Hayden has also served as a tennis professional at various facilities. Hayden has been a director of a Pittsburgh-based tennis academy and runs his own executive recruiting company. He was appointed the President of the Board of the Allegheny Mountain District of the USTA in January.
"I've been coaching tennis for over 25 years, high school and club," added Hayden. "I'm looking forward to using those tools here. Westminster is a beautiful place for students to get their education. I'm looking forward to the opportunity."
A graduate of Point Park University, Hayden earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business management. He currently resides in Upper St. Clair. Hayden and his wife, Beverly, have one son, Alex.
The Titan women's tennis team returns four starters from last year's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) runner-up team and the Titan men's team returns four starters from last year's fourth-place team.
Story contributed by the Westminster sports information office