Jeff Davidson was hired as the next head coach of the Wylie East tennis team on June 9. Submitted photo
By David Wolman
Wylie East has turned to longtime coach Jeff Davidson to lead its tennis program. He takes over for Whitney Jones.
Davidson comes to Wylie East from Allen. He coached tennis at Allen for one year, serving as an assistant coach under head coach Justin Quest, but he said that it was one of the best years that he has had during his lengthy coaching career – both professionally and personally.
Allen made history last fall as the Eagles qualified for the state tournament in team tennis for the first time in program history.
All the while, Davidson relished the opportunity to coach and spend time with his son, Lleyton, who played for Allen on their historic run to state before he graduated from Allen High School in May.
But for as much as Davidson enjoyed his time at Allen, he was ready to get back to being a head coach. His hiring was made official by Wylie ISD on June 9.
“We had an extremely good year at Allen,” Davidson said. “We had the best year the program has ever had. We were excited about that. The only thing better that we could have done is to win state. But after the season, I wanted to go back to being a head coach. Wylie is pretty close to Allen, and it is a tennis-only job.”
Davidson has coached at the high school and academy levels across Texas throughout his career, assisting and leading programs in Allen, Corpus Christi, Victoria and Bay City. His coaching resume includes more than 275 career team tennis wins, multiple district championships, and numerous athletes advancing to regional and state competitions.
Under his leadership, Corpus Christi Veteran’s Memorial saw an extended run of success, including a boys’ double state championship in 2017 and a streak of 55 consecutive team tennis district wins.
In addition to coaching at the high school level, Davidson served as a tennis professional at the Premier Tennis Academy for seven years, where he trained dozens of students and nationally ranked juniors. Many of his athletes went on to compete at the collegiate level, with signings at programs including Rice, Navy, Texas State and Michigan State.
Davidson will look to continue Wylie East’s recent success on the tennis court.
The Raiders finished second in District 9-6A in team tennis last fall before bowing out to Rockwall in the bi-district round of the Class 6A Division II playoffs. Wylie East topped Rockwall in the first round of the playoffs during the 2023 fall season for their first-ever triumph over the Yellowjackets.
For as much success as Wylie East has experienced in team tennis, Davidson would like to see the Raiders strive for a district championship. Wylie has been their biggest obstacle. The Pirates have won the district title in each of the last seven seasons.
“It’s something to strive for,” he said. “I figured, ‘Why not us?’ I’m going to give it a try. I’m used to winning.”
During the spring season, Wylie East qualified athletes for the regional tournament after a solid showing at the district tournament. Spencer Murphy won the District 9-6 championship at boys’ singles, defeating his Raider teammate, Wyatt Kelley, in the finals. Kelley also qualified for the regional tournament for placing in the top two. Ruby Sullivan was the runner-up at girls’ singles in District 9-6A, while the boys’ doubles team of Austin Glenn and Kaleb Borovay took second place at boys’ doubles.
Davidson hasn’t met with the players at Wylie East, but he’s excited for the opportunity to lead the Raiders.
“I focus a lot on fundamentals and just building from there,” he said. “It takes a little while to bring your culture in. I’ve opened brand new schools. I know it takes time, but I’ve done it before and I’m ready to do it again.”
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