Former Westmont men’s tennis player Christian Mathis joined the coaching staff of his alma mater ahead of the 2020 season.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Mathis' first season on the coaching staff was short lived, with the Warriors going 2-6 in eight matches before the remainder of the season was canceled.
In 2021 however, Mathis along with head coach Mark Basham guided the team through COVID protocols to a 5-8 record and a trip to the GSAC Tournament Semifinals.
Mathis graduated from Westmont in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business. During his senior year on the tennis team, he was named an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American, ITA West Region Most Improved Senior, an ITA Scholar-Athlete and Team MVP.
“Having been a student, I love Westmont as a school,” Mathis said. “I really appreciate the combination of commitment to Christian faith, rigorous academics, and excellent athletics that the school provides.
“Having experienced great mentoring first-hand as a student, I seek to serve my players in a similar way. My professors, coach, and mentors at Westmont helped me develop a better understanding of what it means to be a student-athlete as a follower of Christ, and in many ways led me more toward Christ.”
The Mountain Home, Arkansas native has previous coaching experience dating back to high school. He has coached private lessons locally part-time since 2016 and full-time since the summer of 2019.
Westmont head coach Mark Basham is excited about Christian joining his staff as his assistant.
“Christian lives and breathes tennis. He’s a tennis encyclopedia and has a lot of passion for tennis,” Basham said. “Christian will really relate to the players because he’s close to their age. I’ve known Christian for a long time and that’s a positive.”
