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| COACH WILL RILEY COURTESY: COPPIN STATE ATHLETICS |
Riley, who believes in academics, student-athlete development, and achievement on and off the tennis courts, comes to Coppin State after a successful 23-year stint at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa (Alabama).
Riley amassed a combined 818-316 record along with five conference championships during his tenure as head coach of both the Stillman men's and women's tennis teams. He was also named the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Coach of the Year on five separate occasions.
This past spring, Riley guided the Stillman women to its third consecutive SIAC title and a berth in the NCAA Division II tournament. The Lady Tigers finished with a 24-2 overall record. Meanwhile, the Stillman men were conference championship runner-ups. More impressive is that Stillman had 10 student-athletes named to the SIAC All-Academic team in 2015.
"My goal has been to be a head coach at the Division I level," Riley said. "I am grateful for Coppin State for giving me the opportunity to lead its tennis program. One thing about me is I always stressed academics to my players. Seeing them graduate meant more to me than any accomplishments they had while playing tennis. Our program has produced three of the last six valedictorians at Stillman, and I look to carry that same focus to Coppin State."
Riley will have some talented players to work with once he gets settled.
On the men's side, the Eagles return sophomore Gavin Lewis, who led the team with four singles victories. The Coppin State men qualified for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament for the fourth straight season. Meanwhile, on the women's side, the Lady Eagles return seniors Carentxa Goede, Ashley Milo and Miranda Taylor.
A 1993 Stillman graduate and native of Sallis (Mississippi), Riley played tennis at his alma mater where he was the 1992 and 1993 Player of the Year.
He is also an active member of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and still plays competitive tennis with several different leagues.
Riley was named Coach of the Year at Stillman in the 2003-2004 season and SIAC Coach of the Year in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. He has worked with several disadvantage groups, started a tennis camp at Stillman and provided free lessons to students and adults in the west Alabama community.
"My primary goal in coaching is to provide the kind of environment where players grow as people and learn life skills, not just sport skills," Riley said. "Coaching is a wonderful opportunity to have a positive influence on the lives of an outstanding group of individuals. To me, a positive influence means enhancing self-concept and building character, which includes an array of positive traits that I hope every tennis player takes into the world upon graduation."
Riley is married to Sabrina. He has four sons: Oliver (28), Brandon (24), Torrian (21), Kendrick (18) and one daughter Finesse (19).
By Rob Knox
COURTESY COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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