PROVO, Utah — Brigham Young University director of athletics Tom Holmoe today announced the hiring of Dave Porter as the new BYU director of tennis and head coach of the men’s tennis program. In this role Porter will have oversight of the BYU tennis program, with day-to-day responsibilities of the men’s team.
Porter comes to Provo from BYU-Hawaii in Laie, where he led the Seasiders tennis teams to 11 NCAA DII or NAIA national championships (nine women’s and two men’s). During his 33-year BYU-Hawaii career, Porter compiled a combined record of 1,410-188 to achieve a remarkable .882 winning percentage. With 1,410 career victories, he is the winningest coach in collegiate tennis history.
“We are very pleased to announce Dave as our new men’s tennis coach,” said Holmoe. “He is passionate about tennis, a great recruiter with many international contacts and a world-class coach. We are excited to have a coach with his superb collegiate tennis acumen and experience in the BYU system leading our tennis program.”
Porter began his coaching career at BYU-Hawaii as an assistant basketball coach from 1982-84 and also helped coach the Seasiders women’s volleyball team for a season. In 1984, Porter started the BYU-Hawaii men’s tennis program and later took over the women’s program in 1992. He continued to coach both teams until the university discontinued its athletics program in 2017.
“I am thrilled to be given the opportunity of working with and developing the young men and women who are attracted to the culture and climate of BYU,” said Porter. “I appreciate the confidence that Tom Holmoe and Brian Santiago are putting in me as the director of tennis and I will do my best to justify that confidence. There is a solid group of young men currently in the BYU program and I am excited to begin working with them on and off the court. Holly Hasler was a world class player and is an even better coach. It will be a pleasure to work with her.
“My wife, Lorrie, and I are looking forward to returning to family and friends in Utah. We hope to build upon the great athletic traditions that so many have laid the foundation for at BYU. We greatly appreciate the time we have been blessed to live in paradise and look forward to meeting and seeing many family and friends once again on the Cougar courts. Go Cougs!”
Over the course of his distinguished BYU-Hawaii career, Porter was named ITA National Coach of the Year six times and was honored as district, regional or conference coach of the year more than 30 times. His teams made more than 40 NCAA DII and NAIA national tournament appearances. He coached 13 first-team NAIA All-Americans, 44 NCAA Division II All-Americans, and produced five NAIA scholar-athletes. Porter is also the first coach in NCAA history to coach both men’s and women’s teams to National Championships in consecutive years (2002 and 2003).
Porter has also been actively involved with tennis on a national and international level. He served as president of the 15,000-member United States Professional Tennis Association and was the Chairman of International Testing and the Player Development Committees. In 2012, he was presented the USPTA Alex Gordon Professional of the Year award. He has also been named a Master Professional by the USPTA and an International Master Professional by the Registry of Professional Tennis in Spain.
In addition to collegiate coaching, Porter worked closely with the Chinese national women’s doubles team that won the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. That same year, he was awarded the United States Olympic Committee’s “Doc” Counsilman Award for tennis, given to the individual who best combines coaching and sports science. He also coached the 2006 Australian and Wimbledon doubles champions.
Porter is a popular speaker and has traveled the world. His international experience is an essential part of his work as a coach, as his teams have included players from many countries.
A native of Provo, Porter attended BYU where he competed in both basketball and tennis while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. He later earned a Master of Science degree from BYU in Exercise Physiology. In 1982, he accepted a position in the Exercise & Sports Science Department at BYU-Hawaii and later completed a Doctoral Degree from the University of Hawaii in Curriculum & Instruction in Physical Education.
Porter has also been a full professor at BYU-Hawaii where he’s been recognized with multiple exemplary faculty teaching and service awards. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New England. He is married to Lorrie Porter. They have four children and 13 grandchildren.